


You Showed Me The Way

by MidnightAngel30



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-27
Updated: 2012-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-13 01:09:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 76,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/497716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightAngel30/pseuds/MidnightAngel30
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline is just an average girl with big dreams. Klaus is the bad boy with a tough life. Will she be able to show him there is still some good left in the world? High School AU/AH.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Day

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first ever fanfic! I really hope all of you like it and give many, many reviews. I'll take all the constructive criticism I can get! I have this work on ff.net, but apparently I can't upload it to here, so I'm just starting fresh. Everything has been written except the epilogue, so I do hope you enjoy!

Today was the day Caroline had been anticipating all summer. It was the day most kids dreaded after three months of relaxation and bliss. It was the first day of school. She hadn't really been looking forward to this day. Her school reminded her of the movie _Mean Girls._ There were too many groups, too much drama, and too much nonsense to keep up with. If you didn't have a label, you were basically ignored each and every day. This…was Caroline's life.

She got dressed at a decent pace and finished her breakfast in record time. Her mom was already at work for the day. Her dad was off somewhere with his new beau, probably enjoying some tropical island getaway. They had divorced when she was young, and she had always accepted her dad's preference for men. It was just how it was. Her mom had been single since, a life she didn't seem to mind most of the time. Although Caroline could tell she got lonely.

Once she cleared the table of her food, Caroline headed out to her car and drove off to school, feeling only slightly anxious for the day ahead. Her ensemble was perfect, like always. A cute little sundress that was white with blue diamonds scattered all over. She wore the silver heart necklace her father had given her on her birthday, and finished the outfit off with white sandals. Caroline had an interest in fashion, and knew that once high school was over, she would be off in New York somewhere. Hopefully designing the highest of fashions for supermodels. Now, she was one year closer to that dream. It was her final year of high school, and she had no intentions of looking back when she graduated.

Her silver Infiniti pulled into the schools parking lot with fifteen minutes to spare before she had to really start thinking about school stuff. Time to get back into the old routine. It had been the same since she started high school as a little freshman. She walked to the entrance of the large school, her ponytail bobbing as she went. Her destination was the lunchroom, where her friends were probably eating the breakfast that the school offered to everyone.

Caroline had seen them over the summer, but they had been busy the last couple of weeks before school started. All of them trying to get in some last minute time with their families. She smiled as she saw the trio she had been searching for. Elena, Bonnie, and Matt all sat at a table in the corner, the same place they ate breakfast and lunch every year. The four of them were one of those groups that weren't labeled in school. Well, Matt was on the football team, but he never really hung out with the other guys. He had been a friend of the girls since middle school and that hadn't changed when he joined the team. Otherwise, all four of them were pretty invisible to everyone else in the school. They were just…average. She put on a grin as she giddily walked over to the group.

"Hey guys!" Caroline squealed as she joined them, taking a seat in between Elena and Matt.

"Hey Care!" They all said, practically in unison.

"So…someone tell me we have some classes together. I can't stand the thought of spending my senior year without you guys in my class!" Caroline smiled and they all talked about their schedules for the next ten minutes.

* * *

At the end of breakfast, the bell rang and they all knew it was time to head to the gymnasium. Every year, on the first day of school, there was a welcoming assembly. The principal would welcome all the students back for another year and go over some general rules for the freshman, as well as to remind upperclassmen of what most forgot over the summer. It was really pretty boring, but it was mandatory to attend. The group walked together to the gym, passing by countless faces. Caroline didn't recognize most of them, but she knew some of them.

The first bunch of people she noticed was the cheerleaders. Well, she noticed the trio that led the pack for the most part. There was Rebekah, the head bitch, and then her minions, Jules and Vicki, who followed closely beside her. The cheerleaders always performed a routine at the beginning of the assembly; so all three were dressed in their maroon cheerleading outfits. Caroline couldn't stand those girls, but none of them knew she even existed. It was something she was perfectly all right with. She had no intention of joining their snobbish army of sluts.

Then there was the football team. The seniors on the team were in the assembly as well, but mostly she thought it was just to intimidate the freshmen. They were full of an assortment of characters, at least in her opinion. First, there were the Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon. They were fraternal twins that were total opposites, not only in looks, but in personality too. Stefan was the smart, sensitive brother. Damon was the tough, cocky brother. Both looked like Greek gods. Then, there were Tyler and Mason Lockwood, cousins who practically ruled the school. Tyler, the quarterback, was dating Vicki. Mason was dating Jules. And Rebekah was on and off again with Stefan. It was the stereotypical "cheerleader dates jock" scenario. Mason was more of an airhead type, while Tyler was a conceited asshole. Well…Caroline had dated him before he joined the football. After he became popular, she basically became invisible to him. So she didn't care much for him. Matt was the only senior on the team who didn't rub her the wrong way. Well…Stefan wasn't too bad. The only bad thing about him was the slut he kept going back to.

As Caroline and her friends entered the gym, the group went their separate ways. The girls went to the very top of the bleachers like they always did for assemblies. Matt went to go sit with the rest of the seniors on the football team. As Caroline sat down between Elena and Bonnie, she glanced at the gym doors long enough to see someone standing out in the hallway alone. Of course it would be Klaus Mikaelson, the notorious bad boy of the school. He was usually never up to any good. Klaus was a senior like her, and Rebekah, who happened to be his sister, was a grade below them. Their older brother, Elijah, had graduated last year and seemed decent enough. She wondered what had happened to the younger Mikaelson siblings.

Klaus was dressed in his usual black attire, sporting sunglasses even though they were indoors. She was sure he would be skipping out on the assembly. The rules weren't something he usually followed. Caroline was honestly surprised he hadn't been expelled yet. She figured it was only because his father was a large donator to the school. He didn't exactly have friends either. He walked the halls alone, sat at lunch alone, and never talked to anyone in class. She kind of felt sorry for him sometimes.

Caroline noticed that she had been staring a second too long, and caught him glance in her direction. She quickly shot her head forward to avoid looking at him any longer. To keep herself distracted, she started talking to Elena and Bonnie until the assembly started.

"I'm so glad this is our last welcome assembly. I hate these things." Caroline said in a bored tone.

"Agreed." Bonnie and Elena stated in an equally bored tone.

It was, thankfully, over pretty quick. The cheerleaders had started the school off with some routine they were going to use at the first football game. Then the seniors were introduced, followed by the principal giving his speech on the school rules. Once they dismissed, she headed off to her classes. Hopefully they would go by quickly too. She wasn't really interested in learning all about algebra.

* * *

As the group entered the lunchroom, it wasn't long before the first fight of the school year broke out. They were standing in line when Caroline witnessed the scene. Tyler had just gotten his lunch and was heading over to the cheerleaders and the rest of the team when Klaus bumped into him. Whether it was on accident or on purpose, it didn't matter. Tyler was now covered in food and was turning red at super speed. He glared at Klaus's back for all of a second before shoving him.

"Watch where you're going, Mikaelson." Tyler spat.

Klaus stopped where he was and turned around to face Tyler. Under those sunglasses, she was sure that those blue eyes had a fierce glare going for her jerk of an ex. After about a few more seconds of intense staring, they both went for each other. Both were throwing punches left and right. When it looked like Klaus was about to get the upper hand, Mason jumped in. After a couple more minutes, even Stefan jumped in! He was only trying to pull Klaus out of the fight though. Guess he had to attempt to save his girlfriend's brother. Besides, there was no way Stefan was going to be able to punch both of his massive teammates. Damon just watched awe struck as it all went down. He only reacted when he thought Stefan was about to join in. The man may be cocky, and a jerk sometimes, but Caroline could tell he loved his brother. He wasn't about to let him go in a fight alone.

The fight went on for about five, very long, minutes. Finally, the principal and a couple teachers rushed in. The teachers went for Mason and Tyler, while the principal called for order.

"Mikaelson, Lockwood, Salvatore and Lockwood! To my office, now!" Principal Anderson shouted.

Both Lockwood boys stomped off to the principal's office, while Stefan and Klaus walked in silence together out of the lunchroom. The teachers and the principal were close behind.

"Wow, I can't believe Tyler would just lash out like that. I know Klaus isn't the best of students, but damn he didn't deserve that." Matt said, looking a little confused as to why his teammate would do such a thing. He always did try seeing the best in people, even if they didn't deserve it. She admired it most of the time. Caroline knew her ex though.

"It's Tyler…I'm not that surprised." Caroline said coolly.

As they headed to their table, Caroline saw something on the ground. She realized that they were Klaus's sunglasses. Surprisingly, they weren't broken. She could see a little crack at the top, but she figured they were made of steel or something. Before anyone could see, she quickly picked the glasses up and put them in her purse. She would be sure to return those to him later.

"So guys, what are we doing after school?" Elena asked.

"It'll have to be something without me. I've got practice you guys, remember?" Matt said, a grin playing at his lips.

"Oh right. I forget you're actually on the same team as that group of Neanderthals." Bonnie stated.

"Well, we aren't all Neanderthals, now are we?" said a smooth voice from behind.

Caroline looked up as Damon came up to their table. How did they not hear him approach? She noticed that he stole a quick glance at Elena before turning to Matt.

"I was just going to remind you about practice this afternoon and that we were going to stay a little longer to discuss plays for the game this Friday." He said.

"Thanks man, I had forgotten we were staying longer for the game plans." Matt chimed, a frown on his face for having forgot.

"It's just the seniors discussing though," Damon stated, "So if you want, your girls are more than welcome to sit on the bleachers and stick around. As long as they pinky promise not to go babbling about our plan." He said, a smile playing at his lips. Damon gave a playful wink to Elena before patting Matt on the back and walking back to the table of football players. Caroline set to gossiping as soon as he was out of earshot.

"Elena Gilbert! Damon Salvatore was just stealing glances your way." She giggled. Elena hadn't really been lucky in the guy department. If Damon could manage to not be an ass to her, Caroline could see the two of them together.

"Uh huh. Sure he was." Elena rolled her eyes, smiling all the while. She hadn't missed his wink though.

"Anyways…you guys are more than welcome to come and watch. We could do something after practice if there is time." Matt said, a little happy that there might be a chance he could spend some time with his friends.

"Sounds like it would be fun!" Bonnie said enthusiastically. Caroline narrowed her eyes at Bonnie. The girl was being so obvious around him.

"Sure, why not. I'll be there too." Elena chimed in. She would just keep quiet about the fact that she was only interested in going because of what Caroline said about Damon earlier.

"Ok, ok, I'll go too. I have to stop by my car first and drop my books off. I'll meet you guys at the bleachers." Caroline said, a wide grin spread across her face.

* * *

The final school bell for the day rang and she waved a farewell to Bonnie and Elena. She would see them soon, but she still needed to drop her books off. The sun was still shining pretty brightly, and kids were chattering all around her. She smiled as she looked around the scene. The buzz for the game this Friday was even getting her excited. Of course she would be going to support Matt, but sports weren't really her thing.

As she was heading down the stairs outside, she glanced toward a shady spot near the wall. A large tree stood near the school, and sitting under the tree was a lonely looking Klaus. His eye was swollen and from the skin that she could see, he had some nasty black and blue spots. She sighed and shook her head. Tyler definitely got him pretty good. She hadn't seen Tyler and Mason since the fight, but she hoped those meatheads got their fair share of bruises and scars. Caroline looked around quickly before heading toward the grumpy looking man.

"Hi." She said, giving a small smile so this wasn't totally awkward. She threw in a small wave. Caroline wasn't entirely sure how to go about talking to him. He seemed too lonely not to say something though.

"Hello." He spoke reluctantly, like he wasn't interested in company. Klaus never even looked up at her. What could she possibly want with him? Hadn't his day been bad enough?

Well this was fun. Caroline gathered up what courage she had left and bent down on her knees, seeing as it was difficult to sit with her dress. She rummaged around in her purse and pulled out the glasses. She looked at them one last time before handing them to Klaus.

"I found these in the lunchroom…I figured you would want them back." She bit her lower lip, not sure how to continue.

Klaus finally looked at her. He watched her for a minute before slowly reaching for the glasses. He played with them for a bit until he decided to speak. "Thank you…um…" He didn't actually know her name.

She smiled. "Caroline. You're Klaus, right?" Of course she knew who he was. Everyone knew him.

"Yea. The one and only." He scoffed. His reputation obviously preceded him. Great. A girl finally talks to him and she sees him just like everyone else did. Was he really expecting anything different?

Caroline bit her lower lip again before digging around her purse again. It was kind of like Mary Poppins's bag. It held everything you could possibly need. She grabbed a handkerchief and walked quickly over to a nearby water fountain and wet it just a little. When she came back to Klaus, she held up her hand, wanting to help with his cuts.

"May I?"

Klaus looked at her for what seemed like the longest time. She wanted to help him? Even the nurses preferred helping Tyler and Mason to him. It was the reason he still had some dried blood on him and his bruises looked as bad as they did at lunch. The nurses that were working had looked at him and practically shooed him off while they attended to the Lockwood boys. They were used to him being in there for various reasons, so his needs were just not that important to them. Plus, the Lockwood jerks were on the football team. That surpassed anything and everything. So he had just left school after he had finished up in the principal's office. Klaus had been under this tree ever since. He slowly nodded and let her nurse his wounds.

It hurt a little when she dabbed at the gashes on his face. He winced as she touched the cut above his left eyebrow. "Oh! Sorry, sorry!" She squeaked. After realizing he was ok with her continuing, she went back to work. Her blue eyes were focused on his cuts and meticulously wiped up all the blood that remained on his face.

When she finished, she stopped and looked at him for just a little longer than she should have. Caroline smiled shyly and put the dirty handkerchief back in her purse. While the blood was now gone, it wouldn't help his bruises.

"You know…I'm sure there is some first aid near the football field. I bet there would be an icepack there." She gave a small smile, knowing that it would probably be the last place he wanted to be.

"I don't think I would be very welcome there if someone saw me hanging around." Klaus gave a tight-lipped smile. He wasn't interested in seeing Tyler and Mason again.

"You don't have to stay there very long…just long enough for me to get you something for your bruises, and then you can go. Promise." She smiled and crossed her heart with her fingers.

Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at the child like gesture. He looked at the bubbly blonde once more before realizing he probably didn't have a choice in the matter. She seemed persistent. "Alright. Don't expect me to stick around though." He stated, before slowly getting up. Klaus would just keep the fact that Tyler had gotten him pretty bad in the ribs to himself. He didn't even want to see the damage.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Caroline put her hands up in surrender. She grabbed her purse and decided she would put her books up later. Klaus wasn't the waiting type. They walked in silence to the field.

When they arrived, she dropped her stuff and headed straight to a closet she had seen Matt go into before. Just like she thought, there was a first aid kit on one of the shelves. She looked in the freezer that was also in the closet and found an icepack. Caroline walked back out, a little spring in her step for being right. She shook the contents in her hand at Klaus, showing him she had gathered all the necessary items.

Caroline looked into the first aid kit and found some Band-Aids. She put one over his left eyebrow and one on his cheek, patting them lightly. Smiling, she handed him the icepack. "Keep this on your eye. Any other bruise you have for that matter too. It should help." She spoke quietly. The boys were still at practice, so Tyler and Mason weren't going to walk in on the two of them behind the stands luckily.

"Thank you Caroline…for…well, everything." He shrugged and placed the icepack on his eye, hissing a little at the pain before setting it comfortably on the bruise again. This girl astounded him. No one was usually brave enough to come up and talk to him, much less take care of him. Not like he made it that easy though. He preferred being alone to dealing with the people at this school. He thought they were all the same. Maybe he had judged a little too quickly.

"It was no problem at all." She smiled and grabbed her stuff from the ground. She was about to walk off when she thought of something else to say. "You know…if you ever need a friend to talk to…I'm always here. You always seem so lonely and…"

"I don't need your pity." Klaus said, a chill to his tone. His walls quickly going back up before he showed too much vulnerability.

"I'm not saying this out of pity. I'm saying this because no one should have to be alone. Everyone needs someone in their life to help them through it." She smiled sadly before turning toward the bleachers. "See you around, Klaus." Caroline left Klaus standing by himself and headed toward her friends.

"Yea…see you around, Caroline." He whispered to himself. Klaus slowly walked off toward his car, shaking his head to rid the image of the perky blonde from his memory.


	2. An Unforgettable Year

Caroline walked onward to where Elena and Bonnie were sitting. She could tell by the look on their faces that there were going to be questions on why she took so long to meet up with them.

"Caroline Forbes! Where were you? Doesn't take that long to put your books…you didn't even put them up!" Bonnie stopped halfway through her rant to realize that Caroline was still carrying her schoolbooks with her.

"Didn't you stop at your car?" Elena looked quizzically at the blonde.

"That's what I want to tell you guys about! Geez, if you'd just _listen_ ," Caroline sighed and took a seat by Bonnie, "I was on my way to the car when I saw Klaus Mikaelson sitting under a tree." Both her friends had wide eyes now. Any story involving him would be one worth listening to.

"So I decided to go check up on him. He looked so lonely sitting there. I had found his glasses in the lunchroom too, and I needed to return those to him. I walked over and gave him the glasses, but realized he was still bruised up from that little brawl earlier. I'm late because I was helping him. No big deal." Of course she knew it was a very big deal. Nobody talked to Klaus. Ever.

"He actually _let_ you help him?" Elena asked quietly, as if at any moment, someone would hear them talking about Klaus.

"Klaus isn't as bad as he seems. I think nobody gives him a fair chance." Caroline looked off, deep in her own thoughts. Was there more to Klaus than met the eye? Or was she just being optimistic?

"Well, sorry to interrupt your Klaus daydreams, but we have some things we need to discuss. Like plans for Homecoming?" Bonnie smiled, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"Yea, what are we going to do? It's in a month and we need to get dresses…and possibly some dates to go with them?" Elena chuckled. It's not like they _had_ to have dates, but seeing as they were seniors and this would be their last dance, it might be nice to have someone to go with besides each other.

"Hmm, you're right. We need to get dresses as soon as possible!" Caroline clapped her hands as the idea of a shopping trip excited her. "I think I know who might be asking Elena to the dance…" She gave a sly smile before glancing at the football field, where Damon happened to be taking a water break.

"Like he would actually ask me, Caroline." Elena sighed and shook her head. He was flirty, but that didn't mean he wanted to ask her to Homecoming.

"Well, we'll see about that," Caroline winked at Elena before turning to Bonnie, "And _you_ Miss Bennett…you obviously want to go with Matt, so why don't you just ask him before someone else does?" Caroline giggled as her friend looked at her wide-eyed.

"I figured the two of you would go together to be honest." Bonnie looked down, sad by the thought of him going with someone else.

"Us? No! I know you like him Bonnie. I wouldn't do that to you." She smiled and brought Bonnie in for a hug. There was no way she was taking away the chance of her friend being happy. "We're all friends, so I'm sure he'd go with you if you just asked him." Caroline gave another wink at Bonnie.

"You're forgetting someone, Caroline." Elena gave a sly smile.

"Yea. Who are _you_ going to go with?" Bonnie asked, poking Caroline lightly on the arm, a sly little smile on her lips.

"I don't know. I had always thought I'd be going with Tyler. Then he turned into a jerk. I haven't really been interested in many guys since." She shrugged. It was true. No one had really caught her eye since her break-up.

"What about Klaus?" Elena asked sincerely.

"What about him? I just talked to him for the first time today. Plus, does he honestly seem like the type who would go to a school function?" She raised an eyebrow. The answer was no, he wasn't. A part of Caroline really wanted to give him a chance, but she didn't think he was one to change. She had no intentions of trying to change him either. Therefore, it would probably never work out between them.

"Never know until you try." Bonnie said quietly, patting Caroline's shoulder.

"It's just Homecoming guys. Even if you two found dates, I would be ok going by myself. As long as I'm with you guys, I'll be fine." She grinned. Her senior year wouldn't be ruined just because she didn't have a date to some dance. Sure, it would be nice, but it was such a trivial matter. She cared more about what dress she would get than anything else.

All of them glanced out at the field, noticing that the boys had finished up with practice and were going into the locker rooms. They still had a little while before they would be done discussing game plans. Caroline noticed that the cheerleaders were out practicing on the turf. How did girls like Rebekah, Vicki, and Jules have dates, but girls like Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena were having trouble finding any? What was wrong with the world?

"Slut Squad at twelve o'clock." Bonnie spat.

"Bonnie!" Elena and Caroline squealed. All three of them looked at each other before going into a fit of giggles.

"I just want to forget about them you guys. Vicki is already going with Tyler to Homecoming, Rebekah is the biggest slut of the three, and Jules is just a bitch. They get enough attention. The last thing I want to do is give them more." Caroline said coolly.

"On to the next topic of discussion then," Elena quickly said, "What are we doing for the game this Friday?"

"Well, I say we get ready at my house beforehand and then after the game…I don't know, maybe dinner?" Caroline suggested. It was the first game of the year, so they all wanted to show as much school spirit as possible. As far as afterward went, there wasn't really much to do in town. Dinner was probably the best idea they would be able to come up with. Caroline was sure there would be some party going on, but she wasn't really into the idea of getting drunk at some random person's house.

"Sounds good to me." Elena agreed.

Bonnie just nodded with a shrug. She didn't have any better ideas.

Just as they were wrapping up their discussion, the boys were slowly coming out of the locker room. Matt smiled and began walking toward the bleachers once he spotted the girls. Caroline nudged Bonnie when she knew Matt wasn't looking their way. Either Bonnie was going to ask him or Caroline would make the suggestion herself. Right as Matt had reached the girls, Damon surprised everyone by appearing out of thin air somewhere nearby. All three girls stood, stunned, as he went to stand in front of Elena.

"Could I talk to you for a second? In private?" Damon spoke softly. He gestured to a place off to the side, far enough from the group so they couldn't hear. Elena hesitated for a second, looking to Bonnie and Caroline for help. Both girls were nodding and communicating to her that she should take his offer. Elena bit her lower lip before nodding her head slowly at Damon. They walked off to the side, while Bonnie and Caroline shared the biggest of smiles.

"About time!" Caroline whispered. She always knew how to tell when a boy liked a girl, or vice versa.

"About time for what?" Matt said, looking confused. Caroline and Bonnie chuckled. Poor boy had no idea what was going on.

"Just a little Homecoming business," Bonnie smiled, patting his shoulder. Which reminded her of something. "Hey Matt, since neither of us have dates, you want to go with me? I'd hate to go by myself, seeing as we're seniors and all." She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about the whole thing. Caroline knew that Bonnie was nervous though. She wasn't the type to just outright ask a boy out.

"Yea, sure, why not?" Matt smiled and gave a shrug.

"Awesome, I'll text you and tell you the color of my dress once we go shopping." Bonnie smiled. She was trying so hard not to scream out in excitement.

"Yay! I'm happy for you two! Don't worry, we'll go shopping sometime next week maybe?" Caroline suggested. She was ready to get her dress. It was the best part of any school dance. Being able to look for an outfit was always fun for her. As long as she had something to do with it, the three of them would definitely be the best looking ones at Homecoming.

As the three of them continued talking, Elena walked back up to them, waving good-bye to Damon as she did. All three of them looked expectantly at her, waiting to hear what the two of them had just talked about. Ha. As if they didn't know already. Elena smiled looking at their anxious expressions.

"Damon…just asked me to Homecoming." Elena bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile. She knew her face gave away the fact that she had said yes to him.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Caroline jumped up and down and brought her friend into a tight embrace. She couldn't stop from squealing with excitement. They had just been talking about dates not even that long ago, and now the two of them had someone to go with! Caroline wondered if that meant their prediction for her date would come true. She quickly shoved the idea out of her head.

"Elena, that's great! Now both of us have dates!" Bonnie grinned, gesturing in Matt's direction. Elena got the hint and lit up.

"Bonnie! Matt! I'm so happy you two are going together!" Elena gave Bonnie a hug.

"Guys, I hate to break up the love fest, but can we get some food? Homecoming is still a month away. My stomach, however, needs food now." Matt teased. His stomach growled to insure the girls he wasn't lying to them.

The girls started laughing and all four of them walked off to the school parking lot, excited for all the upcoming events. Caroline had a feeling this school year would be one to remember.

* * *

Tyler ran up behind Vicki, picking her up from the sides. She screamed and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Tyler!" Vicki squealed.

"Hey babe." He kissed her on the cheek before turning around in time to see Damon come back to the group of seniors. "Where were you man?"

"Getting my Homecoming date." He said, a smirk gracing his lips.

"Dude! She said yes?" Stefan asked, bringing his hand out for Damon to give him a bro hug.

"Yup," He said smoothly, "I wasn't sure she'd actually agree to go with me for a while."

"Told you just to take a chance man." Stefan smiled at his brother. All the seniors would have dates now that Damon had asked Elena.

"Who the hell is Elena?" Vicki asked.

"Some girl that hangs around with Bennett and Forbes." Rebekah said, coming from somewhere behind Vicki. She walked up to Stefan and kissed him, one that would be considered almost inappropriate if they were in front of a different audience.

"Well hello to you too." Stefan smiled.

"Hello love."

"Forbes? As in _your_ ex-girlfriend, Tyler?" She poked Tyler's chest, emphasizing her point.

"Yea. So?" Tyler didn't really see where this was going.

"So what? Now the three of them are going to be accepted into our group because Salvatore here decides he wants to settle down?" Vicki was fuming at this point. She liked things just the way they were. No one was going to mess that up. Not as long as she was involved.

"Oh lighten up, Vicki. The girls are harmless. It's not like we're letting them on the team or anything. If Damon wants to try his hand at dating, then we'll just let him now won't we?" Rebekah spoke as if she was talking to an infant, grabbing Damon's cheeks to add to the image.

"Knock it off, Rebekah." Damon hissed as he jerked his head away from her grasp. He had no idea why his brother continued to hang around the bitch.

"Then I guess you haven't noticed that Forbes was hanging around _your_ brother this afternoon, Becca." Vicki spat. She had seen the two of them talking right after school. Right before she had to be at practice.

"What?" Rebekah's eyes widened. Klaus never talked to anyone. He only spoke to a select few. He had never even spoke to anyone at school. Hell, Klaus would only talk with her at home. What was he doing talking to Forbes?

"Yea. You heard me. So don't go acting like they're harmless nobodies. I don't like them." Vicki crossed her arms.

Tyler listened as the girls continued talking. What was Caroline doing talking to Klaus of all people? She couldn't have possibly moved on so quickly. Why should he care though? He had Vicki. She put out ten times more than Caroline ever would. He didn't like Klaus though, that was for certain. Tyler would never admit it, but he didn't like this either.

"Ladies, ladies…before you get your thongs all in a bunch…those girls are nothing to be concerned about. So, if _any_ of you even _think_ about doing something to hurt them, you won't be hearing the end of it from me." Damon all but growled out at the three girls. He stomped off toward the parking lot, wishing to be as far away from them as possible.

"Becca darling, they can't be that bad. Caroline doesn't seem like a horrible person. I wouldn't have encouraged Damon to ask Elena out if I didn't like her. We all know Matt and I'm sure Bonnie is just a sweet girl. I think Caroline might even be good for Klaus. You know…if anything happens." Stefan shrugged.

"I don't care. Those three have officially been added to our shit list. Vicki doesn't like them, and I don't like them either. Don't worry dear; we won't do anything to them…yet. We'll just observe for now. If nothing happens, then they have nothing to worry about. If they so much as get in our way somehow though…I can't say _nothing_ will happen." She grinned wickedly at Stefan before giving him one last kiss and walking away with Vicki and Jules. Nobody was going to mess with her perfect world. Things were finally the way she liked them, and now this Forbes girl and her friends were going to come in and mess it all up?

She didn't think so.

* * *

It was late when Klaus finally walked through the front door of his house. Probably sometime after midnight, but he wasn't sure. The Mikaelson house was fairly large, the wooden double doors to the manor not even giving a squeak as Klaus walked through them and into the foyer. He was about to ascend the spiral stairs when his father walked out of the study.

"Home a bit late now aren't we, Niklaus?" said Mikael, swirling his scotch around in his glass.

Klaus just stared at his father. He knew this was probably going to end badly. Nothing he said would be able to change that. Mikael had obviously been drinking tonight. The smell of an assortment of liquors had hit his nose as soon as he had seen his father. Klaus had been hoping he would be able to sneak up to his room before anyone noticed he hadn't been home this entire time. Normally, he didn't have any problems. Occasionally though, his father would catch him coming home late and…remind him…not to do so again.

"Answer me when I speak to you boy." Mikael said, dangerously low.

"Yes." Klaus spoke quietly. He knew Rebekah would be upstairs sleeping. Or she was listening just behind her door, waiting for him to come up. His mother would probably be upstairs too, either tending to his little brother, Kol, or sleeping as well. Klaus hated when his father got nasty, but only because he was afraid he would lash out at the other two siblings. As long as Mikael kept his anger to Klaus, the other two would be safe. Elijah had moved out last year and offered to let Klaus stay with him until his own graduation. Klaus knew that if the other two didn't come with him though, they could be one of Mikael's next targets. His mother was too scared to do or say anything, so it was all on him. It was Klaus's responsibility to take care of his brother and sister.

"Now…I thought I've told you before that I don't like when you come home late." Mikael smiled, one that didn't completely reach his eyes.

"I didn't feel like coming home." Klaus looked at the floor, not able to meet his father's gaze. He would see it as a challenge.

"Well is that all? You just didn't _feel_ like coming home? How do you think it would look to people if they saw my children running around town this late at night? Hmm? It wouldn't look very good. At. All." Mikael was no longer smiling. He inched closer to Klaus until he could see the bruises through his drunken haze, "What are these?" He asked, gesturing toward the wounds. Klaus figured his mother had answered the phone when the school called home. If he had been able to sneak up to his room, Mikael wouldn't have even known about the fight.

"Nothing. Just some cuts."

"Just some cuts? Did you get in another fight, Niklaus? What have I told you about getting into fights?" His voice was slowly rising. Mikael shook his head as if he was disappointed. He placed his glass of scotch, or what was left of it, on a nearby table.

"If you _ever_ get into another fight…you better start packing your bags boy. I won't let a degenerate live in _my_ house." Mikael rolled up his sleeves, a scoff escaping his lips. Klaus knew what was coming, but he had been hoping to avoid this considering his body was bruised up enough for a week. He managed not to flinch when Mikael spoke again.

"Consider this your last warning."


	3. First Game of the Season

"No. No. Gross. Ugh!"

Caroline had looked and looked through her closet. Once, twice, ten times. She had lost count somewhere down the line. It was Friday, the day of the first football game of the season, and she had no idea what to wear. She was trying to find something with school colors, but apparently she didn't like school that much. Something neutral was just going to have to do. Their opponents colors were blue and yellow, so as long as she had different colors on, it would be ok. Caroline decided on some jean shorts with a white t-shirt. Not exactly colorful, but it was better than nothing. As the school week had went on, the buzz for the game had intensified. Obviously there wasn't much to do in this town, considering a high school football game was the highlight of the week.

School had gone by so slow for her. All she did in class was doodle designs she had in mind for her future clothing line. Homework had been minimal since students weren't into the swing of things yet. The girls hadn't gone back to the boys' football practice since the first day, so they only got to see Matt during school hours. Much to Elena's delight, Damon had even come to sit with them at lunch a couple times since they weren't seeing him after school. Caroline thought it was kind of funny. She never recalled Damon ever showing interest in Elena before, but now he was her Homecoming date _and_ he came to see her at lunch. Caroline didn't mind it; she had just never seen Damon as the "secret admirer" type.

Something else she had paid attention to was Klaus…or the lack of seeing him rather. Caroline hadn't seen him since the first day. Until that is, she saw him walking around outside of the school yesterday. Sometimes she wondered why he even bothered showing up to school. From what she heard, he never went to any of his classes. He only went to keep from failing. As she gathered her books, Caroline wondered if she should talk to him again. She didn't see him making any move to speak to her. What would be wrong in trying one more time?

Caroline rushed downstairs to quickly pack herself a lunch. No standing in line for her today. She had a plan. When Caroline had a plan, there was nothing to stop her from going through with it. She would be sure to tell her friends in class that she wouldn't be joining them for lunch today.

* * *

_Ring! Ring!_

Finally. Caroline almost jumped from her seat as she walked briskly to her locker. She was on a mission and no one was going to distract her. Elena, Matt, and Bonnie were aware she would be sitting elsewhere for lunch. That is, if he didn't make her leave or anything. She took a deep breath before heading into the lunchroom.

One thing she hadn't been sure of was if he would even be at lunch today. He had already missed most of the week. Who was to say he wouldn't just miss the rest of it? She was glad to see she was wrong though, spotting him at the very back of the crowded lunchroom. Klaus looked as if he was deep in thought. Or he was focused on the fork in his hand. Caroline gathered up her courage and walked to his table. There would be no going back now. As she approached the table, she pulled herself out a chair beside him, and plopped down, intent on getting his attention. She had succeeded. The look of utter confusion on his face almost made her bust out laughing. His eyebrow was raised quizzically and he was staring at her, speechless.

"Hello, Klaus!" She grinned, opening her brown paper bag to pull her lunch out. As if absolutely nothing was out of place here.

"Hello." He said slowly, his mouth giving a little twitch as he tried not to smile. Damn her for being so…so _pleasant_.

"How are you doing today?"

"Oh I'm just terrific, thank you." There was only a hint of sarcasm on his words. He never had a good day. Although, it was getting more interesting as this lunch went on. "And you?"

"I suppose good as far as everything is concerned. Let me tell you, I was having the most horrid time this morning trying to find something with our school's colors. Ugh! So dreadful."

"I bet." Klaus honestly didn't give a shit about clothes and school colors and all that foolishness. She was making an effort, but he knew it was pointless. Someone like her should be as far away from him and his problems as possible. He decided to bring up the big elephant in the room. "Caroline, why are you sitting here?"

Caroline looked at him while she was in the process of eating her sandwich. She sighed and put her lunch down. "Change of scenery?"

"Not going to work." He smirked.

"Ok, ok! I just…I wanted to talk to you. I wasn't lying when I said I'd be here to talk to. I just decided to go ahead and talk first." She shrugged, a small grin forming.

Klaus was taken aback by her honesty. He admired an honest woman, but why in the hell did she want to hang around him? Then he remembered something…

"I told you I'm not some pity case."

"No! No I told you that wasn't it…"

"Then what is it?" He spoke coldly.

Caroline furrowed her brows, starting to get angry. "I thought you seemed like a nice guy."

"I'm not a nice guy, Caroline."

"I think you're lying."

"I think you should just leave me alone."

"Well, I think that you don't want to _be_ alone."

"Well, how many times do I have to tell you I want to be alone before you actually go the fuck away?" He growled. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Her eyes got big, glistening with unshed tears. She slowly nodded and gathered up her stuff.

"Caroline…"

"No, don't worry. I get it." She spoke softly, not looking at him. Once she had her lunch together, she quickly walked away, heading to her usual table with her friends.

Klaus rubbed his face with his hands. He hadn't meant to say that. She had managed to hit every one of his nerves and it had just come out. How in the hell was she able to see right through him? He took a deep breath and leaned back in his seat. This was better though. Right? Caroline wouldn't be near him and his problems and his messed up life. That bright light that he saw in her wouldn't be in danger of being burned out. It would be easier if she hated him. She wouldn't be tempted to try and talk to him again. Klaus looked to where she was sitting and saw her friends comforting her. Yea…easy. Why did he feel like shit inside then? Life was so much easier when he didn't care. Dammit, why did she have to be so kind? He clasped his hands together and went deep into his own thoughts. Klaus had remembered seeing some of her books, and a thought formed in his head. His pride was telling him to just leave it be. His brain was telling him it was a bad idea. His heart…was telling him something entirely different though.

* * *

Caroline sat in her art class, opening her books and beginning her normal routine of doodling. She was still trying to get over the whole lunch fiasco that had happened earlier. The two of them hadn't crossed paths the rest of the day. After lunch, it was like he had disappeared again. Maybe she had been stupid for even trying. She had known that she wasn't going to change him. Hell it's not like she was even trying to. Or was she? Was she expecting too much from him? Yea…manners were just so much to ask of a person. Ugh! He frustrated her to no end.

"Ok class…I know today is the big game and all, but please… _try_ and pay attention. We'll be discussing…well isn't this a surprise? Nice to have you join us, Niklaus."

"It's Klaus."

Caroline stared at the newcomer. He was in class? He was in an _art_ class? _Her_ class? Guess she hadn't realized there was a possibility he could be in any class of hers. Not like he ever showed up. Her brows instantly furrowed and she went back to her drawings. It wasn't over yet though. Klaus walked right over to where she was at…and took the empty seat next to her. She had to share a table with him after that awful lunch? She snuck a few glances around the room. There were other chairs available. She knew that the kids were allowed to sit wherever. Her eyes narrowed, determined to stay focused on her drawings. Her peripheral vision couldn't help but catch him getting a piece of notebook paper out (wait, he had books?) and scribbling something on it. She watched as he folded the paper up into a small square, then slide the paper to her. Caroline stopped her doodling and gave him a nasty glare. Really? She hadn't planned on reading it, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. She took the paper slowly and unfolded it.

" _Hello."_

That's it? Ugh. She took her pencil and wrote back…

" _What?"_

She practically threw the paper at him while the teacher wasn't looking. He caught it, stealing a glance her way, before unfolding it and reading what she had to say. He wrote back and slid the paper to her. She took it and read what it said.

" _I said hello."_

Smartass. Her lips tightened, and she wrote him back, sliding the paper in his direction. This process went on for the rest of their conversation via note.

" _I meant what do you want?"_

" _I wanted to talk."_

" _I thought you wanted to be alone."_

" _Maybe I changed my mind."_

" _Maybe I did too."_

" _Look, I want to apologize. I didn't mean what I said at lunch."_

" _Sounded pretty genuine to me."_

" _I didn't mean it."_

" _Then what did you mean? Huh? What are you trying to say?"_

" _I fancy you, Caroline. Is that so hard to believe? I just…I just don't want to hurt you."_

Her eyes froze on the piece of paper. She couldn't help but look at him then. He was looking at her too. For the first time he looked completely…defenseless. His walls weren't up. Klaus was being sincere. She remembered how he had looked at lunch though. His eyes had been the opposite of what they were now. She could feel her eyes ready to shed tears again as the memory came back. She wrote on the paper, just as the bell to dismiss class rang.

" _You already did."_

She quickly gathered her books, giving him one last, apologetic look before she hurried out of the classroom. Caroline didn't want to stay, in case her tears betrayed her. He was afraid of letting her in, was that it? That was why he kept pushing…no shoving…her away. She reached her locker in record time, hoping to avoid seeing Elena and Bonnie for now. They would be coming over later to get ready for the game, but she couldn't handle question after question about how she was doing right now. When her locker door opened, she noticed there was something inside that she was pretty sure wasn't hers. It was a drawing.

She put her books away and took the drawing out, gathering everything she needed before swiftly heading to her car. Once inside, she took another look at the drawing. It was a picture of her. She was in her clothes from Monday, the day she had helped Klaus clean up. She was on her knees, a small smile on her face, and holding what looked like a bloody handkerchief in her hand. There was a note written at the bottom of the paper:

_Thank you for taking care of me…in more ways than one. Please, let me make things up to you. Meet me at the game tonight. I'll be under the stands around halftime._

_Yours Truly,_

_Klaus_

Is this not what she had been wanting? He was trying to talk to her. It was possible that he only said those things out of anger. Not like she hadn't done that before. Ugh. What was he doing to her? He was so rough around the edges, but he had these rare moments where she would see something else inside him. Maybe she was just seeing things. She leaned her head on the back of her seat. Caroline knew she was going to see him though. Why? Because right now, she couldn't deny that she had feelings for him too. It wouldn't have bothered her at lunch so much if she didn't. Her mind was made up. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

The crowd went wild as the boys made another touchdown for good ole Mystic Falls. Caroline was happy to see they were up by twenty points, but it was almost halftime. They still had two more quarters to go before it was all over. She honestly wasn't that interested in the game though. Elena and Bonnie didn't know her plans, however, since Klaus wasn't their favorite at the moment after what happened at lunch. That's why she told them she was going to the concessions, when she had no intentions of getting snacks at all.

Caroline slowly walked under the stands, searching out the man she was anxious to see. As usual, he was alone, leaning against a far wall, close to the exit. She sighed as she reached him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his eyes glued to the ground. She went to stand beside him, putting her hands into her pockets as well. They stood in a comfortable silence for a while before he spoke.

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it." He said quietly.

"Well, you _did_ say you would make it up to me. My curiosity got the better of me." A smile escaped her lips.

He chuckled and pulled a small box from his pocket. "For you."

She stopped and met his gaze. He had _gotten_ her something? Caroline reached for the gift, grazing his bandaged fingers as she did. "What happened?" Had those been there the whole day?

"Oh, you know. Got angry. Smashed a wall. Normal teenage boy stuff."

"I see. Is that how you got that new cut on your jaw?"

"Fell on my face. I'm a clumsy bastard." He gave her a look that said it was the end of that discussion.

Hoping not to ruin the moment, she turned back to the gift and opened it. She gasped as she saw what her present was. Inside was a beautiful necklace with a silver heart dangling at the end and wings on each side of the heart. Caroline stared at Klaus, who only wore this innocent expression.

"What…I…it's gorgeous!" She whispered.

"It's a thank you…for watching over me. It's also to let you know that someone is watching over you…if you ever need someone that is." He shrugged, looking at the ground in embarrassment. Although Caroline hardly saw anything worth being embarrassed over. Luckily, she didn't have any jewelry on tonight. She took the necklace out of the box and held it to Klaus.

"Would you mind helping me put this on?"

All he could do was nod and slowly take the necklace from her tiny fingers. She turned around and he brought the necklace around so that he could clasp the ends together. Once he was finished, she turned around and he suddenly realized how close they were. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Klaus slowly brought his hand up to brush a strand of her hair aside. Right now, in this moment, she was absolutely stunning. How could someone like her be interested in a guy like him? He seemed to be asking himself that a lot these days.

Caroline was completely entranced. Oh how she just wanted to stand here and let him continue to stare at her like that. Like she was the best thing in the world. She slowly shook her head and smiled.

"I…I have to get back to my friends. They're probably wondering where I am."

"Will I see you again soon?"

"Klaus, I…"

"Please? Please say we'll talk soon? A date next Friday perhaps?" He knew he was basically pleading, but he wasn't seriously going to just let her walk away.

"Wh-where?" A date? He wanted to go on a _date_? _Klaus_?

"I don't know. We can talk about that in class," He genuinely smiled for the first time in a very long time. He grabbed her hand and gave it a soft kiss before letting go, "Until Monday." He looked at her with complete wonder and fascination before slowly walking toward the exit. She stood, stunned. A smile spread across her face as she played with the necklace, walking back to where Elena and Bonnie were sitting. What a strange day it had been. What she had thought would be a bad day, turned out to be one she was glad had happened.

* * *

Rebekah appeared from the bathroom shortly after Klaus and Caroline had parted ways. She had been listening intently to their little conversation. Caroline thought she was just going to waltz into her brother's life huh? Why was Klaus suddenly so interested in talking to this girl? He had never given Rebekah a present like that before. She wasn't sure she had ever even gotten a gift from Klaus. A pout was beginning to form on her pretty little lips. She didn't like this Caroline girl. Not one bit. She would just end up breaking Klaus's heart later. Not to mention Caroline and her friends could possibly ruin the life at school she had worked so hard to achieve. Rebekah would be doing herself and Klaus a favor if she had a little…talk with her.

She grinned as she jogged back to the field to be with the rest of the girls. Vicki and Jules would need to be filled in immediately on what she had just witnessed.


	4. When A Plan Backfires

The Grill was buzzing with excitement after the game. Caroline, Matt, Bonnie, and Elena sat at their usual booth while listening to everyone talk about what had happened. Mystic Falls had won by thirty points, and were off to a great start for the year. People were constantly coming up to Matt and slapping him on the back or giving him a high-five in congratulations. Unfortunately for Caroline, her friends weren't that elated by the big win. They were more focused on what Caroline had told them had happened during halftime.

"So, Klaus basically tells you to leave him alone. That he doesn't want anyone to be around him. He made that very…clear," Bonnie slowly enunciated each word. "This date doesn't seem a bit weird to you?"

"How is it weird? He said he was sorry and he is trying to make it up to me." Caroline argued.

"A guy doesn't just tell you that kind of stuff when he wants to go out with you."

"Klaus isn't like every other guy, Bonnie. The fact that he's even _apologizing_ is a huge step forward. I don't think any of us saw him as someone who would say he was sorry for something."

"He tells you to buzz off at lunch…and that's putting it nicely. Then suddenly he's sending you cute drawings and giving you jewelry?" Her eyebrows rose questioningly, trying to understand how any of that made sense.

"Ok, so he's got more mood swings than a girl on her period. He's trying though, Bonnie. He's trying." She spoke quietly, exhausted from arguing her point.

"You know, maybe Caroline should give it a shot. The only guy she's had a serious relationship with was Tyler. Even if this doesn't work out, you could use this time to gain experience." Elena suggested. She probably shouldn't be giving advice, since she had never been in a serious relationship before. Her optimism was getting the better of her, however, and she wanted to see Caroline happy.

"What if he hurts her? Yea, she can use her time with Klaus to experience the dating scene, but it's going to be hard to recover if he damages her heart somehow." Bonnie countered. The last thing she wanted was for this guy to crush Caroline's heart.

"If I may…saying this as a guy, we get just as nervous around you girls. Maybe Klaus hasn't had a girlfriend before. Or been interested enough in one to even know how to woo her properly. Maybe he's just as confused by his feelings for Caroline as we all are. My advice would be to give him a shot. If he blows it, well then it's up to you whether he's worthy of a second chance or not." Matt nodded.

All three girls stared at him as if he had just puked fairy dust and rainbows.

"When did you become so insightful?" Caroline said, dumbfounded by his sudden wisdom.

"Hey…Matt Donovan is the whole package," He grinned and clasped his hands together behind his head. "Smart, kind, and terribly good-looking."

The girls couldn't help but burst out into a fit of giggles. Caroline watched as Bonnie's face turned a slight shade of pink. No doubt she was agreeing with everything he had just said. The thought made Caroline want to start laughing all over again. As the snickering began to die down, the four of them watched as Rebekah, Vicki, and Jules walked over to their table. It felt like they were in the Twilight Zone all of a sudden. The silence surrounding them was deafening.

"We just wanted to offer our congratulations, Matt. You did one hell of a job on the field." Rebekah smiled with Vicki and Jules following her lead.

"Thanks, Rebekah. Everyone did pretty fantastic tonight." Matt said politely. He knew both trios didn't like each other, but that didn't mean he had to be in the middle of that mess. He would stick by his girls through anything, but he wasn't about to instigate something just because the air between everyone had become tense.

"I completely agree," Rebekah continued being conversational, "I was also coming over here to invite all four of you to the party at Jules's house later. We've got the weekend ahead of us, so what better way to spend our Friday than celebrating our team's grand victory? Right?"

The four of them all looked at each other, not sure how to respond. Something felt wrong here. Rebekah was inviting the _four_ of them to a party? The group of girls hadn't even crossed paths up until now.

"Um…we'll talk it over. Could be fun. What time does it start?" Good old Matt, always trying so hard to bypass any confrontations.

"We'll be leaving here shortly. Everything is already set up, so once people get there, the party can start." Rebekah shrugged, not having a certain time to give them.

"My parents are out of town this weekend. We'll have the place all to ourselves." Jules winked, a sly grin forming.

"Hope to see you all there." Rebekah waved goodbye as she and her posse headed toward Tyler and his entourage. They watched as Rebekah embraced Stefan and ate his mouth on the spot…in front of everyone. All four of them gagged in unison.

"I don't know about that party you guys. It seems a little suspicious to me." Caroline furrowed her brows.

"Well, what reason do they have to hate us? We've never done anything to them. This is the first time they've ever interacted with us." Elena tried to reason.

"My point exactly. Suddenly they want to get all buddy-buddy with us?" Caroline questioned.

"Caroline's right. It seems a little odd." Bonnie shrugged.

"You guys can decide what you want to do. I'll go with whatever you plan." Matt put his hands up in surrender, not wanting to be a part of this.

"You know…you guys may not like this, but…we'll never know their intentions unless we go." Elena spoke the words everyone at the table had been secretly thinking.

The table sat in silence for a while, all of them contemplating what could possibly happen at this party. There were only two ways this could end. One, the cheerleaders had ulterior motives in inviting them and bad things would happen. Or two, absolutely nothing happens and all four of them have a good time at a regular high school party. It was risky, but they couldn't just stop living because a few girls _might_ be up to something.

"You know what, I change my mind. I think we should go. We know there isn't much else going on in town. If we don't like it then we can just leave. For all we know, we're overthinking this whole thing. I don't like them, but that doesn't mean the four of us can't have fun at a party they'll be at. We don't have to drink anything while we're there. I don't like the thought of getting drunk and making stupid decisions. I just want to be able to go have fun with all of you." Caroline said.

"It's at Jules's house though, Caroline. That's a little different then just going to a party they'll be at. Home court advantage." Bonnie sighed. She knew Caroline was right though. They couldn't live in fear of something that they weren't sure even existed. There was one last thing on her mind that she had to ask before agreeing to any of this.

"You're not trying so hard to go just so you can get on Rebekah's good side, right? Just because she is Klaus's sister?" Bonnie said.

"Hell no. I told you I don't like the bitch. I'm just…tired of the same old routine I guess. It's our senior year and I want to be able to hang out anywhere with you guys and not have to worry about some high school drama queen messing it up. I want to have fun with you guys before we go our separate ways next year." Caroline smiled.

The entire group nodded in agreement to that and the decision was made. Tonight, they were going to a party.

* * *

"Are you even sure this is going to work?" Vicki complained from the passenger's seat.

"For the hundredth time…no, I'm not sure. But it's a start," Rebekah let out a very long sigh from the backseat. Jules was currently driving them to her house so they could start the weekend off right. "People expect this when they go to parties. Somebody always spikes the punch. Or other things…" Rebekah grinned mischievously.

"So basically, nobody can really trace it back to us, right?" Vicki questioned.

"We made sure to have lots of food and drink. Nobody will be able to pinpoint the source. It's mostly the liquor and some of the baked goods. I also made sure to give Klaus a call. It took a lot of persuading, but he said he would make an appearance." Rebekah knew Klaus wouldn't want to go home. She was just giving him somewhere to go. Nothing sinister about that, now was there? Besides, she was doing this for him. He needed to get away from Mystic Falls, away from their home. Klaus needed to go somewhere he wouldn't get hurt. By their father or some girl who would eventually break his hear. Rebekah just happened to know that Klaus didn't like girls who enjoyed getting wasted at parties. Brought some bad memories to his head. So in the end, this party would be killing two birds with one stone. It would make sure Klaus didn't pine after Forbes, and it would make Vicki stop complaining about them not doing anything about the trio of girls. Although it wasn't just Vicki, Rebekah didn't like them either. It was a win-win situation.

"Forbes is really going to get it tonight then?" Vicki asked with enthusiasm. She knew that Caroline was a simple nobody. If everything went well tonight, that could change drastically for her.

"Yes, Vicki." Rebekah sighed.

"You know, she's probably expecting something. There's a good chance this won't work." Jules finally spoke up as she pulled into her garage. The cars were already starting to come up the driveway as they got out.

"True. It's a possibility. We've never talked to her before tonight though. Everyone just needs to be on their absolute best behavior." She stared pointedly at Vicki. "Remember ladies, 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'" She grinned as they headed into the house. Hopefully, this would be a very interesting night.

* * *

The party consisted of about _everyone_ from the junior and senior classes. The lights had been dimmed and people were bumping and grinding everywhere Caroline walked. Speakers were thudding from the low bass in the music and people were constantly shouting lyrics that didn't match the song. She had even managed to lose Matt and Elena in the crowd somewhere. They had been here for two hours and Caroline wasn't having much fun. Sure, they had all danced and mingled and the usual stuff. Even Rebekah had talked to them for a while. She had actually had a friendly, civil conversation with everyone. This party though…it was just too rowdy for Caroline's liking. At least she could put this under things she had tried, but just couldn't get in to.

"I have to go to the bathroom, Caroline. Are you going to be ok here?" Bonnie shouted, trying to be heard over the roar of the music. Bonnie wasn't the "go to the bathroom with everyone" kind of girl. She liked attending to business in private.

"I'll be fine, Bonnie. I'll keep watch out for Matt and Elena." Caroline shouted back. She couldn't get over how large Jules's house was. There were people upstairs, downstairs, by the pool, in the driveway, and any other place this house had to offer.

She watched as Bonnie nodded and worked her way through a large crowd that was blocking her path. Caroline walked around for a while before deciding to lean against some wall, grabbing a drink on her way. She surveyed the scene in front of her. Mason and Jules were practically having sex on the dance floor, her head in the direction of the floor with her butt against Mason. He looked completely out of it though. Wouldn't surprise her if he had drunk his weight in liquor. When she turned away to find something else, she only came across Tyler and Vicki making out on some patio furniture outside. Caroline gagged and tried not to barf. She looked at her water cautiously. She had avoided drinking _anything_ this entire time. After being cooped up in a house that was heating up by the second though, she was feeling a bit parched. It was water, what could it hurt? As she went to take a sip, someone slapped the cup out of her hand. Her brows furrowed instantly. When she was about to give the asshole an earful, she silenced herself upon seeing who it was.

"Damon?"

"You don't wanna drink that." He whispered in her ear, a clear warning. It was hard not to believe him she saw whose arm was hanging lazily around his.

"Elena!" Caroline squealed. Her eyes were fluttering and she was having a hard time keeping herself up.

"Found out from someone that about everything at the party has been spiked. Everything. All the alcohol, most of the food, and even the water." He gave her a pointed look. She knew he was saying that they needed to get out of there as soon as possible. The less they were involved in this utterly weird shit, the better. She nodded in agreement. If they were lucky, the neighbors wouldn't call the cops for disturbing the peace or something. The last thing she needed was her mother finding out she had been here.

"You have a plan? I've kind of been separated from everyone."

"Well, I would suggest finding them then." He said in a low voice, picking Elena up and cradling her in his arms as he did. "Stefan's wasted. I was taking him to my car when I found this one chugging down a cup of her own. That was when some guy standing nearby told me about the rumor he had heard. I don't think I'm gonna question it either. We live in the boarding house not too far from here. Gather your friends and take them there. That way you won't have to explain to your parents about tonight. I'll be there before you will be, so I'll leave the door unlocked."

"Ok, sounds good to me. What about your parents? Won't they be mad that you're bringing all these people home?"

She caught a glimpse of sadness wash over him before he returned her gaze. "Trust me, it'll be fine. Just get your friends and get out." He nodded before carrying Elena off in the direction of the front door.

Caroline sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. This was the _last_ time she went against her gut feeling for the sake of having some fun. She shook her head and quickly looked for Bonnie and Matt. The more she paid attention to everyone's behavior, the more she realized that she should have noticed something sooner. This party was such a bad idea. Ugh! She moved through the crowd swiftly, her eyes searching and searching for her friends.

"Caroline! Hey girl, hey!"

Her eyes narrowed as she turned around to see a happy Matt, holding hands with an uncomfortable looking Bonnie. She bit her lower lip to keep from giggling. Looks like Matt had a few as well. Apparently it had a different effect on him than it did on Elena. She plastered a smile on, hoping he wouldn't be too hard to persuade.

"Hey there Matty!"

"Oh my god…this party…is a-mazing! So much fun!" He nodded in agreement with himself.

"Tell me about it! You know what though?" Caroline smiled and acted like she had a secret. She leaned in to whisper so that only the other two would hear her. "I hear there's an even _better_ party going on at the boarding house not too far from here. I think we should _all_ go." She gave a knowing look to Bonnie, trying to communicate with her nonverbally. Her friend caught on and nodded.

"I heard that too. Why don't we go out to Caroline's car and wait for Elena?" Bonnie suggested.

"Elena's already there. Don't worry." She gave Bonnie a comforting look, reassuring her that everything was fine. Bonnie looked at her, confused. She didn't have time to say anything though before Matt got excited.

"Then what are we waiting for? To the bat mobile!" He shouted and picked Bonnie up, throwing her over his shoulder. "Don't worry little lady…I'll get you there safely." Bonnie's eyes went wide as she stared at a laughing Caroline. Matt ran off with her still over his shoulder. Caroline was about to follow when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

A blonde man sat against a wall in the shadows, his head lolling around. She gasped as she realized who it was. Caroline quickly went over to the sleepy looking Klaus and knelt down beside him. He looked up at her groggily, his eyes fluttering just as Elena's had. She ran her fingers through his hair gently.

"Klaus? Klaus, can you hear me?" She spoke softly.

"I didn't…I didn't even have drinks…no alcohol. None. Didn't…I didn't wanna go home." He managed to get out, his words a little slurred.

"It's ok, it's ok. I need you to try and stay with me ok? I'll get you out of here. You need to put your arm around my shoulders though. I can't lift you all by myself." Caroline continued to speak quietly.

"Why…why do you keep helping me? I'm…I'm fine. See?" He attempted to stand up before Caroline caught him.

"Look, you almost fell. Quit being stubborn and just let me help you, Klaus." She pleaded with him. He looked at her with droopy lids before finally giving in, putting his arm around her shoulders to help support his weight.

It looked as if he would pass out on her at any moment, but somehow he managed to stay awake as she slowly walked him out of the house and to her car. Matt and Bonnie were in the backseat and Matt was still jumping around like an excited six year old. She shook her head as she approached the car and opened the door to the passenger's side. Gently, she helped Klaus in and then hurried over to the driver's side. Caroline saw Bonnie give her a confused look before turning back to Matt and attending to him. She sighed and started her car, heading to the boarding house. This had definitely been one of the longest days of her life.

* * *

It didn't take long to reach the Salvatore household. The four piled out of Caroline's car and headed for the front door. She saw Damon's car in the driveway, and when she tried opening the door, it was unlocked. Caroline smiled as she helped Klaus through. At least Damon could keep a promise.

Matt looked around upon entering and frowned. "I don't see a party here."

Bonnie chuckled as she walked him to the kitchen. "How about you and I have a coffee party in the kitchen?"

"Coffee's stupid." Matt deadpanned, letting Bonnie lead him around like a puppy.

Caroline giggled as she helped Klaus into the living room. Stefan was sound asleep on an armchair by the fireplace, his mouth hanging open and snoring loudly. Damon sat on the couch watching TV. Elena was fast asleep with her head lying on a pillow that was on Damon's lap. Caroline watched as he slowly stroked her hair, only turning his head when Caroline had come into view somewhat.

"Everyone get out ok?" He whispered.

"Yea. Bonnie and Matt are in the kitchen. I found Klaus at the last minute. I hope it's ok that I brought him here."

"I don't judge," He shrugged, "We have plenty of guest rooms. My room and Stefan's room are at the end of the hallway and across from each other. Any other room is yours for the taking."

"Thank you…for everything," She smiled and looked down at her sleeping friend, "You be sure to take good care of her. Or I'll be forced to remove certain body parts." Caroline giggled.

"If I ever hurt her…I'll let you." He said softly, looking down at the sleeping girl. Caroline grinned before heading up the stairs with Klaus. Elena was in good hands.

Caroline chose the first bedroom on the right. It was a decent sized room. Clean white sheets fit the queen-sized bed perfectly. The walls were painted a deep red. A bookshelf and an armchair were placed in the corner of the room. Right in front of the window was a desk, and beside the window was a door that she presumed led to a closet. She helped Klaus lay down on the bed before going to open the door. It wasn't a closet, but it turned out that the guest rooms had their own bathroom as well. That would be useful knowledge for later. Caroline walked back over to where Klaus was sleepily laying, still fully clothed. She reached for the hem of his shirt when he grabbed her wrists.

"No…p-please…please don't…"

"Ok, ok…I was only trying to help." She sighed and patted his shirt before getting up to walk out of the room.

"Wait…"

Caroline turned around as she had reached the door. Klaus was looking at her, that innocent expression on his face.

"Stay…please." He whispered.

Oh goodness. This was probably a bad idea. He looked so helpless lying there though. She couldn't help but smile and crawl in beside him. Klaus put his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. They lay like that for a while before he tried speaking again. It came out as more of a mumble though.

"I didn't have any alcohol. I s-swear."

"I believe you."

"Good…good. You're so…so different. So different."

"What do you mean?" Caroline whispered. This was a different side to Klaus that she would probably never see again. He was being so…honest. It seemed like he was almost talking to Caroline in his sleep, but far be it from her to stop him now.

"The first time I met you. I knew…you were different. I wanted…wanted to talk to you again…to see you again. You were so sweet…so beautiful. Then…then you came up to me at lunch today," He paused for a moment before continuing, "It was too good to be true. I thought…it was too good to be true. You couldn't be in my life. Just couldn't be. Then I hurt you. I promise I didn't mean to. I promise. I knew…I knew then that I couldn't… let you down too. I always let people down. You were different though. So kind…so caring…couldn't let you down…" He trailed off until Caroline was pretty sure he was fast asleep.

Well, that was a lot to take in. Who knew that bad boy Klaus had a sensitive soul? First he drew her pictures, and then bought her presents. Now he gave drunken, heartfelt confessions? The guy was a closet romantic. He wanted to keep everyone away, except her. He thought she couldn't be in his life, but was taking a chance anyway. He may be a romantic, but he needed to make his mind up already! Ugh. She looked down at the now sleeping boy. Maybe he was just as confused as she was. Caroline placed her cheek on his head and closed her eyes. She would figure him out, one way or another. He wouldn't be able to keep up his tough exterior forever. She had only known him for a week and his walls were already crumbling. Caroline was just glad that he couldn't see how fast her walls were tumbling down too.

* * *

"I can't believe that everything went so wrong!" Vicki shouted, throwing a glass against the wall. She was standing in Jules's bedroom with Rebekah and Jules. Tyler and Mason had passed out about an hour ago while Stefan was nowhere to be found.

"You're being so negative, Vicki dear," Rebekah cooed, "Sure, Caroline didn't drink or eat anything tonight, but her friends did. You should feel a small victory for that. We hadn't planned on someone else spiking all our other drinks besides the alcohol." She shrugged. It had been a bad twist of events, leaving practically everyone at the party buzzed or drugged up. Everyone that had attended would pretend they hadn't gone because it was just _that_ bad of a party. Which would leave no one's reputation in danger. Most would probably forget it, not remembering what they did the night before. So it hadn't been a complete failure in Rebekah's opinion. They would just try again later. The only part she didn't like was that Klaus had ended up drinking something and had been involved. He was only supposed to see Caroline drunk. After everything he ended up _leaving_ with her! That had pissed Rebekah off, but there was always next time. She just had to remember that. At least she had had a decent conversation with the four, hopefully showing that she wouldn't be a threat to them. She hadn't had the chance to have her one-on-one conversation with Caroline, but if the opportunity wasn't there, she couldn't force it to be. If she made things too obvious, their plans would be screwed.

"I am happy about that," Vicki pouted, "I just want Caroline to suffer too."

"We know, Vicki. We know." Jules sighed and plopped down on her bed.

"I have more of a reason to see her suffer than you do, Vicki. So don't worry. Her time will come. We half assed this plan because we did it all in a few hours. Patience is the key. We need to think of something good and take the time to see it through." Rebekah smiled wickedly. This wasn't over yet.


	5. Morning After

A bright ray of light pierced through the black abyss of Caroline's closed eyelids as the sun shone through the window the next morning. She awoke to remember that she was still in Klaus's bedroom, and in fact, still in bed with him. Somewhere in the middle of the night, they had switched positions. Her head was now resting on Klaus's chest, his arms protectively wrapped around her. She moved her head sleepily to see if Klaus was awake yet. He was still peacefully sleeping. A part of her wanted to stay here, just for a little longer. The other part wanted to get Klaus moving and tend to his morning after needs. Not to mention see how everyone else was doing after last night. Caroline put her hand on Klaus's chest and shook him a little.

"Hey…Klaus, hey. Wake up."

He shifted in his sleep, one of his hands coming to the hand of hers that was on his chest. She grinned as she squeezed his hand.

"Would you wake up already? Lazy bum." She giggled.

He moaned as his eyes fluttered open to groggily take in the vision before him. Caroline's eyes shone bright from the light that flooded into the room from the window. Her blond hair shimmered and glowed as it lay on his chest, her face looking at him as she tried to wake him up.

"Now why would I want to do that?" Klaus mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep. "I sincerely don't want to wake up from this dream."

"Trust me…you aren't dreaming."

Caroline watched as his expression changed, realizing that he actually was in bed with her. He looked around the room, confusion stuck on his face. His brows furrowed as he looked down at the woman in his arms. Klaus slowly tried to sit up in bed, only to feel a sudden pain in his head. He hissed and put a hand to his forehead, the light quickly becoming _too_ bright in the room.

"The hell…where am I? Why is my head pounding? What happened?" Klaus questioned.

"Long story. Come downstairs with me and I'll tell you all about it. You need a greasy breakfast and some medicine to help with the headache." Caroline sighed and reluctantly sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Downstairs _where_ though?"

"Um…the _kitchen_?" A grin was forcing it's way to Caroline's lips.

"Not what I meant and you know it." He stared at her, frustration pushing it's way into his voice.

"Chill, grumpy. We're at the Salvatore house. Can we go downstairs now? We can talk down there. I want to see how everyone else is too."

He continued to stare at her, utterly confused by her words. Eventually, he gave in and slowly sat up. Klaus squinted his eyes as his head began pounding again. Caroline held out her hand to help him up. He took it, allowing her to aid him yet again. Almost as soon as they entered the hallway, a blond haired man ran past him with great speed.

"Move, move, move!" He shouted. The man's hand flew to his mouth, heading straight into a room and shutting the door. Klaus was sure he heard heaving after that, but his head was still hurting too much for him to decipher one sound from another.

A black haired girl ran up the stairs and stopped as she saw Caroline laughing and Klaus holding his head in pain. She smiled at the two as she headed into the room the blond haired man had gone into. His brows were permanently furrowed as he continued down the stairs with Caroline. Everything seemed ten times louder than it should have been, and ten times brighter to add to that. Klaus sat down at what he presumed to be the dining room table. He watched Caroline get some pills out of a cabinet and grab a glass of water before heading back to where he sat.

"Take these, they'll help."

Caroline didn't give him a chance to respond as she walked back into the kitchen and began preparing his breakfast cure. She gathered the necessary ingredients from the fridge and put a couple of frying pans on the stovetop. She quickly cracked a couple eggs into one of the pans, placing the bacon and sausage in the other. The smells that were emanating from the kitchen were simply delicious. Bacon was sizzling into crispy goodness and it made her want to grab a piece of it right off the pan. She grabbed a couple slices of bread and placed them in the toaster before flipping the eggs over. After a few minutes of cooking for each piece of food, she grabbed a spatula and slid everything onto a large plate. The toaster dinged as the toast was ready to serve too. She grabbed a glass from a nearby cabinet and poured herself a glass of orange juice, while putting some already made coffee into a mug for Klaus. Looks like someone had made the pot not too long ago. She figured it was probably Bonnie. Caroline hadn't seen Damon and Elena yet this morning. Everything seemed ready as she gave the food a once over. She brought the plate of food and the mug into the dining room and placed it in front of Klaus, heading back into the kitchen to quickly grab her glass of orange juice. When she got back to the table, Klaus was staring at his food with his mouth open like he didn't know what to think of it. She quietly stared at him and wondered if something was wrong. He sniffed as the steam rose from the food on the plate. Klaus smiled and quickly dug in, starting with his eggs. Caroline smiled proudly for making such a delicious looking breakfast. She went to steal a piece of bacon, but her hand was quickly slapped away. She narrowed her eyes as Klaus continued eating, never looking up from his plate even once.

"Hey!" She chuckled at his ravenous form.

"Hey yourself! That's my bacon." He pouted, somehow still shoveling food into his mouth as he did.

"Glad to know I'm such a good cook," Caroline boasted playfully, "I can make you more though if you're that hungry."

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He chuckled, finishing off everything on his plate except for once piece of bacon. He looked at her and gave a playful wink, already feeling better after a little medicine and a home-cooked meal. "What about you? Aren't you going to eat?"

She smiled and quickly took the bacon before he changed his mind.

"I can get some cereal in a bit. I'm not that hungry honestly. Besides, last I checked you had a lot of questions for me."

"As long as you're sure. First off, what happened last night? Last thing I remember is walking around this party I'd gone to. I was feeling a little dizzy and then…nothing. I blacked out and woke up in this house with you in my bed."

Great. So he didn't remember anything he said to her last night. She would just have to act like she didn't know anything. Who knew what he would want to know or share with her.

"Well, my guess is that you were drugged. I was at that party and apparently everything there was spiked. Did you have anything to drink or to eat?"

"I had a few glasses of diet soda. Everything you say? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently. I thought it would just be alcoholic drinks that were spiked. Guess someone thought they were being really funny."

"Fantastic," Klaus said sarcastically. At least that explained why he felt so terrible and why he couldn't remember a damn thing, "So how did I get here then?"

"I saw you sitting against a wall. You looked like hell. A couple of my friends were either drunk or also drugged last night. So the ones that were clean made a plan to come here and get away from the party. I…I couldn't just leave you there." She looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers as if they were the most interesting things she'd ever seen.

"I'm glad you didn't." He said genuinely. Caroline looked back up at him and met his gaze. She smiled and continued.

"Once we got here, I took you to one of the guest rooms. I was going to leave you to sleep, but…you wanted me to stay." She bit her lower lip.

"I'm not surprised about that, not really." He chuckled and a small smile formed. "Wouldn't feel safe going to sleep without my guardian angel, now would I?" Klaus threw another wink in her direction.

Caroline shook her head at the cheesy line. Still, she couldn't stop the blush that appeared on her cheeks. It wasn't something she expected to hear come from his mouth. She played along with it though.

"Well, of course not! Who would fight off all the monsters if I didn't?" She giggled.

"Hey now. I'm not some pansy. I'd give them what for whether you were there or not." He smirked. Something was slowly dawning on him though. Hell, if he could say something that corny now, what had he been saying when he was out of it last night? Shit. The answer couldn't be good, whatever it was. He would have to ask her later. Klaus needed to get away from all of this…syrupy talk. The more time he spent with her, the more he found that crap spewing from his mouth.

"So who else was here last night?"

"Damon and Stefan, obviously, as well as Elena, Bonnie, and Matt. They're good people, so don't worry about them spreading rumors or something."

"How many of you were sober?"

"Damon, Bonnie, and I. Damon was the one who thought of bringing everyone here to sober up. That way, I didn't have to take home everyone that was drunk and explain what had happened. Stefan was wasted and I'm pretty sure Elena was drugged. He brought them here in his car. Matt was…well I don't know if he was just drunk or if he had been drugged honestly. Him and Bonnie were with you and me in my car. I'm just glad we all got out of there. I don't think I'll be going to any of those parties for a while."

"Cheers to that." He lifted his mug of coffee up before bringing it to his lips.

Caroline grinned and raised her on glass. They sat in a comfortable silence while they finished their drinks. After a few minutes, they both heard a loud thud come from the direction of the stairs.

"Ow!"

They heard someone yell from out of view. Caroline furrowed her brows before she saw Matt rush into the dining room with Bonnie, holding his hand up to his nose while his head was tilted back. She should have guessed it was him.

"Yup, yup I think it's bleeding. This is not my morning." He sighed and sat down beside Caroline while Bonnie went to grab a box of tissues. The laughter that escaped Caroline's mouth was uncontrollable. Matt glared at her with his hand still applying pressure to where he fell. Bonnie came back with the tissues and sat beside Matt, sliding the box in his direction. Caroline looked at Klaus too see his mouth had formed a thin line. It took a minute for her to realize it was because he was trying not to laugh too. She had almost forgotten none of them had been formally introduced to each other.

"Guys, um, this is Klaus. Klaus, this is Bonnie, and that's Matt." Caroline introduced.

"Hi, Klaus." Bonnie gave a small smile and nod. Matt waved his free hand while the other held a tissue to his face.

"Hello."

Well, it had become awkward quickly. Luckily, the rest of the cavalry was arriving at that moment. Stefan came stumbling in, holding his hand to his head. He saw Klaus and was taken aback for a second before waving.

"Hey man. Guys, if you'll excuse me. I need aspirin. Now." He gave a tight-lipped smile before walking into the kitchen. Damon and Elena were close behind, both taking a seat across from Caroline.

"And then this is Damon and Elena, the last of our getaway party." Caroline told Klaus.

"Nice to make everyone's acquaintance." Klaus nodded at the two newcomers.

"As it is to make yours. My bro has spoke of you before. Says you're a cool guy. Feel free to stop by anytime you want." Damon offered.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. If you all will excuse me though, I need to get myself a shower." Klaus nodded a farewell to everyone before lingering just a little longer on Caroline. After what seemed like forever, he broke their gaze and continued on out of the dining room. As soon as everyone heard the set of footsteps stop, the questioning began.

"When did he get here?" Elena asked. Stefan came back in at that moment and handed her a couple of aspirins before sitting beside her. She gratefully took them and popped them in her mouth.

"Last night after you had fallen asleep. How are you feeling by the way, Hun?"

"Better. Last thing I remember was talking to some guys and then…poof. Memory gone." Elena sighed and shrugged. As Caroline had thought, she'd probably been drugged.

"I remember bits and pieces of last night. I think I drank something from a girl's belly button." Matt said.

"Ew," Bonnie said, "Could have done without that image. Anyway…how is Klaus doing after last night, Caroline? He didn't seem to want to stick around us."

"I don't know. He seemed a little disoriented this morning, which makes sense. Otherwise, things have been fine. Don't forget he's not exactly one to hang out in big groups, Bonnie. He doesn't know anyone besides me. We have to take things slow. I'm sure he knows I've told you guys about our whole lunch fiasco yesterday. Which means he probably thinks everyone hates him too." She sighed. "I'm going to go upstairs and check on him. Don't worry you guys. I'm sure he'll come around eventually."

She smiled and headed out of the dining room and up the stairs. She knocked on the closed door. The shower wasn't running, so she had figured he was finished.

"It's unlocked."

Caroline walked into the bedroom, sitting beside Klaus on the end of the bed. His hair was still damp from the quick shower. She knew he probably felt out of place here. He was a lone wolf, not used to being in a pack. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you ok?"

"Just a little…I don't know," He sighed, "I didn't make a complete ass of myself last night, did I?"

"No. Trust me, you're fine." She smiled, trying to reassure him. There was definitely no telling him everything he confessed to her last night. He wasn't one to go around just telling people that kind of stuff. He would consider it foolish. "Besides, everyone here this morning…they aren't going to judge you for what happened. Everything was spiked and most of the people here were in your shoes anyway." Why would she think he was an ass if her friends were in the same condition as him?

"It's not their opinions I'm worried about." Klaus spoke quietly.

"I do not and will not judge you. Ever." Caroline said softly. They stared at each other for a long time. The air between them suddenly seemed electrified. She felt herself leaning closer to him, and for a split second, she thought he was moving closer too. Suddenly, he seemed to shake himself out of his trance and he quickly stood up.

"Um…I probably need to go."

"Right, I understand. Just tell your parents you were sleeping over at Stefan's house. It's the truth for one thing. Plus, he's dating Rebekah, so that should be a reasonable excuse."

"Sure." He nodded in agreement and slowly moved toward the door as she walked with him. He had been so close to kissing her. Her lips had been _right_ there. It just…it hadn't felt right. It would have been too soon. He wasn't going to screw things up with her. He just couldn't. "So I'll see you in class Monday then?"

"I'll be there. Do you need a ride home?"

"No, I'll be fine," He smiled, "And uh…thanks…for everything. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't brought me with you. I mean that."

Caroline looked at him, trying so hard to figure out this man standing in front of her. He was certainly a mystery. She smiled before she did something she wasn't sure she'd have the guts to do. Caroline hugged him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled. He was tense for a couple of seconds before she felt his arms slowly wrap around her, placing one hand on the back of her head.

"You're welcome." Caroline said quietly.

They stood like that for a couple minutes. Finally, they parted, giving each other one last look before he walked off to the stairwell. After standing there a while longer, making sure he had time to get out of the house, she went downstairs to converse with her friends. She never thought she would be saying something like this…but Monday couldn't come soon enough.


	6. Shopping Sprees and Surprises

The following two weeks had been such a change of her normal routine. Caroline and Klaus had begun talking more in their art class. She had been surprised to see him show up _every_ day those weeks. The two of them had even started talking at lunch. Although they would only sit with each other every other day since Klaus wasn't ready to sit with a group of people he had just met. So Caroline alternated between eating lunch with her friends and keeping Klaus company. Their conversations hadn't gotten very deep and personal yet. They talked about the small things, like how their morning had been, homework, favorite things, etc. The both of them had even started a tradition with each other. Since two weeks ago, after their awful lunch fight, it was obvious that Klaus liked her. He had told her himself with their note passing and his drunken confession. It was also pretty obvious that Caroline was reciprocating the affection, even if she hadn't told him her feelings outright. So each day when they first saw each other, they would give the other the corniest pick-up line that they could come up with. Caroline had even gone online to find some really cheesy ones. It was something that she looked forward too. Her life was in a good place right now and she couldn't have been happier.

Now, it was Friday and Caroline was going shopping with Elena and Bonnie to finally get their Homecoming dresses. With two weeks until Homecoming, she had to cancel her plans with Klaus for their first date so that she could get her dress with the girls. They would have gone last week, but Klaus had cancelled due to some family plans. She had understood and said they could do it the following week, but now it was _her_ turn to take a rain check. He had understood though and said they could just try going on Saturday. It seemed like their date was never going to happen, but she had already promised Elena and Bonnie that she would go shopping with them. Caroline wasn't one to break a long overdue girl's day out. So here they were, at the mall, rummaging through racks of dresses to find the perfect outfit.

"Guys, what if all the good ones have been taken already?" Bonnie asked.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies. You're with me. We are going to find something that will make us look drop dead gorgeous," said Caroline.

"No one doubts your skill, Caroline. Let's just grab a bunch of ones we like and try them on. At least we'll have an idea of what we are looking for then." Elena suggested, piles of dresses in her arms.

They all agreed. Each girl had handfuls of dresses and brought them to the fitting rooms. One by one they modeled for the other two. Twirling and posing in each outfit they had. Elena was the first one to try on her dresses. She tried on two before finding "the one" pretty quickly. Caroline and Bonnie shared wide grins as Elena twirled her way out of the fitting room.

"That one, Elena! Choose that one or I will put you in a chokehold until you do!" Caroline squealed with excitement. Both Bonnie and Elena laughed as Elena went to look at herself in front of the mirror. The dress was a very dark blue that came just above her knees. It had one strap on her left shoulder that consisted of only silver flowers. Another silver flower rested on her right hip. It wasn't skin tight, but was definitely form fitting, hugging her curves in all the right places. It had a velvety smooth texture to it and Caroline thought Elena looked stunning in it.

"I'll get it. It's perfect. I'm sure I have some white shoes at home that would be just right for it." Elena smiled.

"I'm sure Damon will love it. Although I'm sure he'd rather see it _off_ you." Caroline said slyly, giving a wink to a now blushing Elena.

"Caroline!" Elena went to smack her friend on the shoulder playfully.

"What? I've seen you guys secretly holding hands under the lunch table. I see everything. My only question is are you two official yet?" Caroline grinned brightly.

Elena answered with another blush and a small smile on her face. That was all the answer Caroline needed. Bonnie sat open mouthed.

"Elena! How could you not tell us?" Bonnie exclaimed.

"We might be official, but we haven't told everybody. I hadn't talked to you guys yet to see what you thought about it."

"It's _your_ relationship, Elena. If you're happy, we're happy." Caroline said softly.

"Agreed. I thought the guy was a dick when I first saw him, but around you he seems…different. So as long as he treats you well and you're happy, then who are we to say you guys can't be together." Bonnie stated.

"You guys are awesome. Thank you." Elena said gratefully.

"No problem, sweetie. Now go change so we can get Bonnie into her dresses next!" Caroline clapped with excitement.

Elena giggled and went back to change into her regular clothes. Caroline looked over at Bonnie sitting beside her.

"We have to find something that will make our Matty speechless over you."

"Trust me, I'm already on it." Bonnie winked and Caroline tried to keep from bursting out with laughter.

"What about you, Care? We need to find something that will remind Klaus of how lucky he is to be your man."

"He isn't my man though. We aren't dating. We haven't even kissed, Bonnie!" Caroline sighed. Oh but how she wanted to kiss him.

"Then make the first move girl. Are you guys even going to Homecoming together?"

"I don't want to push him too far…and no, we aren't. We haven't even talked about it. He hates that place. I think the last thing he wants to do is go to the dance." She wished with all her might that he would ask her, but the topic was never in their discussions.

"You know a relationship is a two way street, Caroline. I understand that he's new to all of this, but he's got to put his best foot forward too. You can't do all the leg work."

"I know, Bonnie. I know. He's told me that he likes me. I know I'm not the only one interested."

"Does he think _he_ is the only one interested then?" Bonnie suggested.

Caroline thought about it. She had never really told him how she felt. Did he think that she only thought of him as a friend? She didn't know how he could since they were sharing corny pick-up lines with each other of all things, but she guessed it was possible. Elena came back out before she could think on it anymore. Now it was Bonnie's turn to try on dresses, so she had to stay focused on the task at hand. Bonnie wasn't as lucky as Elena had been. She had gone through about seven dresses before that perfect dress decided to show itself. Caroline and Elena both agreed Matt would flip when he saw her in it. The dress was one shouldered and a pretty yellow color that was a great contrast against Bonnie's skin. It went a little farther up the thigh than Elena's did but was still a very reasonable length. This dress was also more of a skintight dress. When she twirled, the dress stuck to her body like glue. It was very beautiful and very sexy.

"Ok, this is definitely my dress. That leaves you, Caroline." Bonnie smiled and went to quickly change into her regular clothes. Caroline took the time to fill Elena in on everything her and Bonnie had talked about while she had been in the dressing room. Once Bonnie was out, it was now Caroline's turn. She glided right into the room with a huge smile on her face. There were so many dresses that she wanted to get, but she knew only one would be the winner this evening. She had two dresses in particular that she felt could end up being the dress for her, so she made sure to try them on first. Her first dress was a short lime green, strapless dress. It had silver beads all around the waist and a pink flower on the side. She liked it and came out to pose for the girls. Elena smiled, but Bonnie said something that made Caroline's mind up about it.

"I don't think so, Tinkerbell."

Caroline huffed and marched back into the fitting room. No way she was going with that then. It was an idea for Halloween though. She quickly changed into her second dress. It was a short, white, baby doll dress. Two straps that had silver beads scattered everywhere on them and in a line right under her chest. The satin flowed down her body ending about mid-thigh. It showed just enough cleavage to make it alluring, yet respectable. When she stepped out of the dressing room, both Elena and Bonnie stared wide-eyed at her. Just the reaction she was looking for. This would be her Homecoming dress. She smiled at the two and twirled, the material spinning all around her. Caroline winked and walked back into the fitting room without speaking. As she changed into her regular clothes, she realized she was kind of sad. She wasn't sure why though. Her friends were with her and they were having a great time finding the perfect dresses. Why was sadness suddenly washing over her? It hit her after they paid for their dresses and were leaving the mall to go eat.

It was because she wasn't sure if _he_ would get to see her in that dress.

* * *

Finally, it was Saturday, the time for Caroline to go on her first date with Klaus. She hated to admit it, but she was excited. It was their first actual date. They had talked about going on one today since she had gone shopping last night with the girls. He hadn't contacted her at all though, so she thought something had come up. However, this morning, he had sent her an unexpected text message. All he said was to meet her at Mystic Park by the gate that was the entrance to the park. Caroline had responded asking what time to be there and all he said was five o'clock sharp.

So here she stood, at the gate, five o'clock sharp. He was nowhere to be found. She huffed. For someone who wanted to be so precise, he sure was late. Now she was standing there looking like an idiot. She walked around for ten minutes by the gate before worrying. What if he didn't show up? What if he had stood her up? Maybe this had been a bad idea. She could understand if he was running late, but he hadn't tried to reach her at all to warn her that he would be. Caroline sighed. If she texted him or called him to inquire his whereabouts, she would just look desperate. Right as she had decided it was time to take her dignity and leave, a little boy came running in her direction. He was the cutest little thing. The kid had to be around five, maybe six. Caroline thought he would run right past her, but he stopped in front of her, a huge grin on his face.

"Excuse me! Is your name Caroline Forbes?" The little boy asked, his big chocolate eyes looking at her.

"Well, yes it is! Can I help you with something, Hun?" She bent down on her knees so that she was closer to eye level with him. Did she know him or something? He didn't look familiar.

"Yea, yea! I have something for you!" He chuckled with excitement and handed her a folded piece of paper. She narrowed her eyes and slowly took the note.

"Are you sure it's for me, sweetie?"

"Uh huh! I'm sorry it took so long for me to give it to you. I was afraid you would be the wrong person and I didn't wanna mess up. I gotta go now though. My big brother is waiting for me in his car. It was nice meeting you, Caroline!" The boy smiled and ran to hug her. Then he quickly trotted off in the direction of a car that was by the sidewalk. Caroline was utterly confused now. She didn't even have a chance to ask the little boy's name. All she could do now was read the note she supposed. She opened the white piece of notebook paper and couldn't help but smile.

_My dearest Caroline,_

_Have I told you lately how thankful I am that you're in my life? I'm sure there is a very old tree around here that would be willing to share more of what I think about you. If you're curious that is…_

_-N_

Well this was interesting. Of course her curiosity was getting the better of her. This person knew her name, and that cute little boy apparently. Might as well see this through. So, an old tree was it? Well, everyone in Mystic Falls knew that the oldest tree in this park was the old willow tree. Which happened to be near the entrance. Thankfully…she didn't want to have to trek to the farthest end of the park. It was a small town with a really big park. The willow tree was off to her right, away from the path that led all around the place. She walked the short distance and looked around the tree. There was a note taped to the other side of the trunk.

_You're beauty is beyond describing, Caroline. Words would simply fail at explaining how gorgeous you truly are. There is a flower in the community garden that means something along the lines of what I'm trying to tell you._

_-N_

Her knowledge of flower meanings was a bit rusty. She smiled at the new mystery and hurried over to another part of the park where the garden was kept. This was actually kind of fun. Caroline loved a good scavenger hunt. It reminded her of her childhood when her parents would give her hints to find all the Easter eggs they had hidden. She scanned over the garden, looking for any possible flower that would have a note with it. The garden was big and diverse, but it wasn't that big. Besides, the flower she was looking for was no longer planted. An orchid was laying on the edge of the garden, a note tied to the stem.

_The flower is for you, sweetheart. Feel free to keep it if you'd like. For so long I've thought someone as kind as you was too good to be true. I kept thinking I had wished on a shooting star at some point in my life for someone like you to come along. Or maybe it was a wish upon a fountain…_

_-N_

Caroline grinned at the note. She took the flower and placed it securely in her hair before practically skipping off to the large water fountain in the middle of the park. The sky was getting darker as the evening went on. The sun would be setting soon and she was hoping to find all the notes before it got too dark outside. She arrived at the fountain, searching excitedly for the next note. The curiosity of finding out who "N" was and why he would do all of this was killing her. Obviously, she had a small hunch about who it was, but a part of her didn't want to think it was him. If she were wrong, she would be too disappointed. The next note was taped to the edge of the fountain. She sat down and read it.

_If you've gotten this far, then I should tell you this is the last note. All will be revealed soon, I promise. I couldn't think of a better way to show you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. Go to the gazebo my angel. There, you will find the big finale._

_-N_

Angel. Caroline smiled as she realized who "N" was. Her eyes glistened from the overwhelming feeling of happiness and excitement. Her cheeks were actually beginning to hurt too. She giggled and tried to keep from running to where the gazebo was. The sky was colorful now from the sunset. Shades of pink, purple, blue, and orange were now all around her. She followed the path that led right to the little steps of the gazebo. Leaning against the white rails inside was Klaus himself. In his hand, he held one red rose. Klaus smiled as Caroline slowly walked up the stairs to stand right in front of him. He handed her the rose, and only then did she realize that the thorns had been taken off. She smiled and looked up at him, waiting for the big explanation.

"I thought about making another note for this, but I felt like I had to say it in person. Well… _ask_ it, I should say."

She stood still as a statue while she waited for him to continue.

"Caroline…would you do me the honor of going to Homecoming with me?"

Her eyes widened at the unexpected request. He was offering to go to a _school dance_? She was absolutely speechless. When had this even crossed his mind? For two weeks they had been talking and not once was this even brought up. Her mouth opened and closed looking for a response.

"You…I thought…why…Klaus you've never shown any interest in going."

"I know."

"You know I've never expected you to go with me, right?"

"I'm aware of that too."

Caroline still tried to find the right words to say. She never thought in a million years she would be standing here with Klaus, watching him ask her to a school dance. Her mind was still racing with thoughts when his velvety voice interrupted her.

"I told you I wanted to show you how much I truly appreciate everything you've done for me, and how much I am grateful for having you in my life. You're my best friend, and hell you know I think of you as more than that," He smiled and stroked her cheek with the back of his finger, "I want to do this. I know we haven't talked about it, but I also know this dance means something to you. If it is something you want, I would be honored to be included. So come on, Caroline…go with me…I dare you." He grinned, bringing her hand up to kiss it.

Was this even the same Klaus she had helped nurse back to health that first day of school? The answer was probably no, it wasn't. She had tried so hard not to change him, yet here he was, asking her to a school dance. Something he would have probably never done before. He had gone and changed all on his own. Caroline nodded in silence, trying hard to find where her voice had gone.

"Yes…yes of course I will." She whispered, closing the distance between the two and wrapping her arms around his waist. He wrapped his arms around her, slowly stroking her hair with one of his hands. As she stood there, enveloped in his arms, a thought came to her.

"Who was the little kid who brought me the note?"

"That was my little brother, Kol. I asked him and Elijah for a little assistance with tonight. Elijah took him home after his mission was complete. He was so excited to help."

"He's a sweet kid." Caroline smiled against his chest.

"I know he is."

"I don't know why I didn't think of you as "N" sooner. I call you Klaus so much, I forget your real name is Niklaus."

"That was the whole point, angel." He gave a low chuckle.

"I have to say though, you made one mistake tonight."

Klaus pulled away just enough to look at her, making sure his arms were still wrapped around her. "What's that?"

"How in the world are you going to top this night?" She smiled, a giggle escaping.

Klaus guffawed at her words. "Well, I had to make sure there would be a second date."

"Trust me…there will be a second." Caroline winked as Klaus chuckled. He moved so that they were able to watch the sunset while she staid safely in his arms. This would be a night she wouldn't forget anytime soon. It had certainly been one hell of a first date.


	7. Homecoming

"Elena! Do you have any kind of a peachy lip-gloss? I forgot mine." Caroline yelled from Elena's room to the bathroom.

"It's on the dresser somewhere. Good luck finding it in that mess of make-up though." Elena chuckled.

The girls had agreed to gather at Elena's house that night to get ready for Homecoming. Currently, they were scurrying around trying to get everyone's hair and make-up done. Elena was drying her wet hair and Bonnie was curling hers. Caroline was about finished with her make-up, only needing that peach lip-gloss now. She had already done Bonnie's make-up and would do Elena's face when she was done with her hair. Caroline wasn't entirely sure how she wanted her hair to be yet. A half up hairstyle might do the trick, with curls loosely hanging from the sides? Yea, that sounded like something she could pull off. She set to work in front of Elena's full-length mirror, taking a seat on the floor as she did.

"Incoming male number two! Damon's here!" Jenna yelled from downstairs.

"Thanks Aunt Jenna! We're still getting ready!" Elena yelled from the bathroom. Jenna had announced Matt's arrival to the girls too. The only guy they were still waiting for was Klaus. Caroline wasn't completely surprised by that.

"Did you find that lip-gloss, Care?" Elena asked.

"Nah, not yet. I'm just going to start working on my hair before we lose anymore time." Caroline stated as she was in the process of putting some of her hair up.

"We need to hurry you guys. Now we have Damon waiting too. I don't even want to think about how long Matt's been waiting." Bonnie said.

"It's seven o'clock you guys, the dance doesn't start until eight. We haven't even ordered the pizza yet. Besides, who ever shows up early to these dances?" Caroline laughed. The entire group had agreed to just eat pizza at the house before they went to the dance. Dealing with the hassle of going out to eat just didn't appeal to anyone and Jenna couldn't cook to save her life. So her boyfriend, Alaric, was just going to order some pizza and they would all eat together. The two adults were going to chaperone the dance, so everyone thought it would be good to have them eat with the group. They were cool anyways; it wasn't like it was crashing their pre-Homecoming plans to have them eat with everyone. The six kids were all going to the dance together in Jenna's van. She had been nice enough to let them borrow it. The van was cheaper than a limo and this way they could all carpool.

Caroline was still worried about how Klaus would do with all of this group activity. He wasn't exactly a social person yet. The two of them had been doing great since he had asked her to Homecoming two weeks ago. They still weren't officially dating, and they still hadn't even kissed yet. Things were going as slow as a tortoise. It was killing Caroline, but she still didn't want to push him too far. Although, there had been a major break through as far as his socializing went. He had told Caroline that if he was going to Homecoming with her, then he might as well get to know her friends too. For the past week, he had been sitting with them at lunch and trying his hardest to get along with everyone. He said he genuinely liked all of her friends, he just wasn't used to hanging out with a group of people on a daily basis. Caroline was just happy he was even trying. It had all been more than she expected.

"Ok, I'm finished." Elena smiled, looking at her straight hair. She had a bump at the top by her forehead and it was pulled into a high ponytail. Caroline saw that Bonnie had finished hers too; deciding to just stick with curls hanging over one of her shoulders. Caroline smiled as she too, finished her hair and sat on Elena's bed.

"Perfect timing. Get over here, Gilbert." She giggled, arranging all her make-up utensils on the bed.

"The last man has arrived! Klaus is here!" Jenna yelled up.

"Be down shortly, Aunt Jenna!" Elena yelled in response.

Caroline smiled with excitement. Thankfully all they had left to do was Elena's make-up. She smiled, picking up the first tool and going to work. Elena really didn't need that much; the girl was already gorgeous without any. After putting just a touch of eye shadow on and some pale pink gloss, she was ready.

"Care, I found the peach gloss." Bonnie smiled and tossed the tube to Caroline.

"Yay! Perfect! Girls…I think we're ready." Caroline winked as she applied the gloss to her lips.

"Ok…I guess that means I have to tell Jenna we're ready then." Elena sighed, a small smile on her face.

Caroline knew why she didn't want to say anything. Jenna was always wondering if she was doing the parenting thing right and always taking precautions to make events like this memorable. She might not be able to cook or clean or do anything of that sort, but she was adamant about making this dance special for them. Jenna wanted the girls to walk down, one at a time, to present each girl to their date. The girls didn't want all the extra attention, but Jenna insisted. She knew it was slightly embarrassing for them, but it was like a secret reason of hers to go through with it. Caroline thought it was cute though. Jenna really tried hard for Elena and her friends. At least she was here. Her mom was at the police station tonight. Never knew how many drunken teenagers you would get on nights like tonight. Her dad was still out of town too. Bonnie's grandma was getting old and wasn't able to make it. The guys just didn't want their parents there for some reason. Elena was really the only one with family here. So Caroline was more than happy to go through with the quirky little march down the stairs Jenna wanted them to do…because at least she cared.

"We're ready, Aunt Jenna!" Elena yelled down.

"About time!" Jenna yelled, excitement obvious in her voice, "Bonnie first, since Matt's been waiting the longest."

Caroline watched as Bonnie took a deep breath, and walked gracefully down the stairs. The girls had their heels by the front door, since their was no reason in killing their feet sooner than they had to. Caroline and Elena watched at the top of the stairs out of view so that the others wouldn't see them. The two just wanted to see Matt's reaction to Bonnie. He didn't disappoint either. His eyes widened noticeably and his mouth hung slightly open.

"Looking good, Bennett." Damon said from somewhere out of view.

"Bonnie…you look amazing." Matt managed to stumble out. They watched him place a corsage on her wrist that had yellow roses. Caroline and Elena shared a look, both knowing that Bonnie was absolutely happy right now. They saw Bonnie give Matt a tight hug and the two stepped out of view.

"Elena's turn!" Jenna yelled.

"Good luck." Caroline whispered, a smile apparent on her lips.

"Thanks, I'll need all I can get. I'm sure Jenna has a camera down there somewhere." Elena shook her head and took her place at the top of the stairs, slowly descending with an air of elegance.

Caroline watched as Damon's face never changed. He focused intently on his date slowly walking down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Stunning, as always." He said as he presented the corsage he bought for her. Caroline couldn't see Elena's face, but she was sure that her friend was blushing. He held out his arm for her and Elena looped her arm through his. They walked off out of view and she knew what was coming next.

"Last but not least, you're up Caroline!" Jenna yelled.

Caroline sighed and went to the top of the stairs. All eyes would be on her. Not something she could complain about she supposed. This was different though. _He_ was down there. She took one last deep breath, and descended. Bonnie and Elena were smiling in encouragement. Matt and Damon had an obvious look of surprise on their faces. They hadn't seen her in the dress either. The only face Caroline was truly focused on though, was Klaus's. Much like Matt, his mouth was slightly open, his eyes never once leaving her. Those blue eyes were completely transfixed on her body, her face, everything. She smiled as his reaction brought warmth to her heart and butterflies to her stomach. Even as she reached the bottom of the stairs, he still looked utterly mesmerized by her appearance. Unbeknownst to Caroline, Bonnie and Elena had shared an all-knowing look, before shooing everyone out of the foyer and into the kitchen, leaving Klaus and Caroline alone.

"Speechless, huh?" Caroline whispered.

Klaus just continued to stare at her.

"Well…say something!"

"I-I can't." Klaus whispered, her voice bringing him down to earth again. His eyes met hers and there truly were no words to describe this radiant woman before him. He was afraid to touch her, for fear she would disappear right in front of him. She was a dream, and there was no way he would be able to find the right words to tell her that. He took out the white flowered corsage from its box and took her hand gently, sliding it onto her wrist. Klaus kept her hand in his after it was on, slowly bringing it up to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. The air around them was getting thick and the distance between them was shortening. He was so close to her…inches away from her lips…

_Ding Dong!_

Caroline bit her lower lip, shaking herself from what had been about to happen. Klaus's eyes had closed in obvious frustration.

"I'll get it. Most likely the pizza." Alaric shouted as he walked into the foyer, passing Klaus and Caroline while smiling at the two kids. It was the pizza. He paid for it and headed back into the kitchen, making sure not to linger any longer on Caroline and Klaus's time. After he had disappeared around the corner, Caroline looked up at Klaus, placing a hand on his cheek.

"We should get in there before they think we died on them." She whispered.

He nodded and held out his arm as Damon had done for Elena. Caroline looped her arm around his, and together they walked into the dining room where everyone was sitting.

* * *

"Damon, how come Stefan didn't eat with us?" Caroline asked from a seat in the middle of the van. Damon offered to drive to the school and they were currently on their way there.

"Well, his date is Rebekah. I told him it would probably be better if he got ready with the goon squad."

"Damon!" Caroline hit his shoulder. Klaus was sitting right next to her!

"It's ok. I know my sister can be a pain in the ass to some people." Klaus said, a smile on his face.

"Well, to be fair, she hasn't done anything to us specifically." Elena said from the passenger's seat.

"Still…no offense Klaus, but _I_ don't like her. I've heard about some of the fights her and Stefan have. So I have my own reasons." Damon said.

"Ok then. What about Jeremy?" Caroline asked Elena, quickly changing subjects.

"Jeremy and Anna went on their own date. Told me not to wait up for him."

"I gotcha."

"You guys, it's hard to be a part of the discussion from all the way back here. Mind speaking up?" Matt semi yelled.

"No need my man. We have arrived." Damon said as he pulled into the parking lot and surprisingly found a spot pretty quickly. It was nine o'clock and the dance had been going on for about an hour. They had been at Elena's for a while, eating and having a good time. The time had just slipped by. As Damon parked, all of them got out and looked at all the students walking into the building. It was finally that time. Yes, it was just a dance, and to be honest, everything before the dance was kind of Caroline's favorite part. Being with her friends and enjoying the night together.

They all walked into the school and were astounded at the decorations. The theme for this year had been "City of Lights" and they had definitely gone all out. Lights were strung all around the hallways and it continued into the gymnasium. By the food were little tables with chairs and lanterns in the middle of the table. The gym was still dark, but all the lights that were hung created a perfect atmosphere. She looked at Klaus to get his reaction, but she caught him staring at her, a small grin across his lips. Caroline looked down shyly and bit her lip. The six of them had all agreed at dinner to meet at the school entrance around midnight. So that way when they inevitably parted ways, there would be no need for worry.

"Shall we dance?" Klaus whispered into Caroline's ear.

"Absolutely." She whispered back.

They smiled at each other and she let Klaus lead her out onto the dance floor. Luckily, it was a slow song. Any excuse to be close to him was good enough. He placed his hand on her hip gently as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Their free hands intertwined together as they slowly moved around their little spot. Their eyes never left each other as Hear You Me played over the speakers. Caroline let her mind drift a little as they danced together. She couldn't help but wander why the two of them weren't together yet. Was she really holding back too much? They had almost kissed in Elena's foyer though! That had to be enough of a hint, didn't it? Ugh. Was she afraid of something? Was there something else keeping her at bay?

The song ended sooner than she would have liked. They stared at each other for a while before Klaus kissed her hand. As he was about to let go, she held onto his hand, intertwining them together and leading him out of the gym and into the hallway. Caroline thought she saw Rebekah out of the corner of her eye giving her a dirty look. She didn't think anything more of it though as she was alone with Klaus once more. There were some things she had to get out, and the look of curiosity on his face proved he knew something was up. She continued holding onto his hand as they walked.

"Klaus…how come we never talk about anything personal? We've known each other for a month, yet we stick to small topics."

"The small things are just as important as the big things, angel."

"I know. It's not like I don't want to know all the small details that make you…you. I just want to know we can talk about more than that too. In all the time we've known each other, you've never been curious about my family? My past? My future?"

"Of course I have. I didn't want to push you into talking about them though. You never talk about that stuff in front of your friends. I don't know how much you want to share."

"Well…I think I know our problem," Caroline giggled, "Because I've done the same thing with you. I don't want to force you or push you to talk about stuff you may not want to, but if we continue on like we have been…we can't just stick to discussing the weather." Caroline stopped at the end of the hallway, sitting on a bench that had been put there to go with the theme she guessed. Klaus took a seat beside her.

"You're right."

"It's just…I am?" She questioned. Caroline hadn't been expecting him to agree. He nodded though and continued on.

"As I'm sure you know, you aren't exactly the first girl I've been with."

Well that's a great way to start out a story. She kept quiet though. If he was opening up to her somehow, she wasn't going to interrupt him.

"I know the rumors that go around. Not all of them are false. I've… _been_ …with girls. There was this one girl though. It happened over the summer, near the beginning right after school let out. She just came up and started talking to me. Things only went further from there. I thought she had potential to be something more than a fling. We talked to each other every night and it was going great. They were so great in fact that after a week, we were in bed together. After another week, she said I love you to me. I've been in bed with girls before, Caroline…but I've never been in love. I said it back though, because I thought I did love her. How was I supposed to know what it felt like to love someone when I never truly had? She was the best girl that had come along _at the time_. Little did I know that I would go to pick her up from her house one evening and find her making out with some guy on her front porch. That happened two days after we exchanged declarations." Klaus sighed, retelling a part of his past he didn't want to share. His wounds were still fresh from that, and he was sure that was the reason he was going so slowly with Caroline. He knew she didn't deserve it and that she was different. It was just something he had to be sure of. He had to be careful with this. Sharing his past with her was something she wanted, and she was right. They needed to be open with each other if their relationship was going to progress. So like it or not, he needed to tell her about it.

Caroline placed a hand on his shoulder. Wow. She hadn't expected him to be that honest with her about his past love life. Although, she had thought he wasn't a virgin, so it was weird knowing her suspicions were correct. She hadn't realized though that he was a virgin when it came to love. Guess it made sense with how often he was alone. Klaus didn't have that many chances at finding it. They were in high school. It's not like they had to find the love of their life right now. When someone said they loved you and it was suddenly ripped from your life like his had been though…it could be painful.

"What happened after that?"

"I broke up with her the next time I saw her. I never confronted the guy. She didn't even seem phased when I ended things. Almost delighted in fact," He said dangerously low, "I was pissed for a week straight. Rebekah would come in each day and check on me. As much as I know she is a pain in the ass to most, and even me sometimes, I know she helped me immensely during that week. It was just nice to know someone cared about me. It was a bad time."

She intertwined her fingers with his and rested her head on his shoulder. Maybe Rebekah wasn't as bad as Caroline had thought. They sat in silence for a while, taking in everything he had just said. Finally, Caroline spoke.

"I don't know if you know or not, but I used to go out with Tyler. We were together for all of freshman year. He actually used to hang out with my friends and me. He wasn't always such a dick," She scoffed at the thought of him before continuing, "Tyler wasn't on the football team yet though. He didn't try out until sophomore year. Boy was he a jewel to them too. The coach loved him and thought he'd be a perfect quarterback. Tyler was getting new friends now, new followers. I loved him, but he didn't love me. He said he did, but if he had…he wouldn't have left me as soon as Vicki started giving him attention. A popular girl in school was better to date than some nobody. We had even had sex before, but to Mr. Popular, it wasn't enough. He could get more with Vicki than he could get with me. So he dumped me. I haven't had a boyfriend since him, and I've never really looked for one either. It just hurt too much to think I wasn't good enough for someone. I didn't and don't want to fall for someone who is just going to leave me later because I'm suddenly not good enough to them." Caroline placed her face in her hands. She hated rehashing this story to people, but Klaus had been brave enough to share with her. It was only fair she returned the gesture. She had been the one to start this anyway.

Caroline was surprised when Klaus didn't say a word, but instead stood up and held out his hand to her. She looked at him in confusion, but took his hand anyway. He put his other hand around her waist and started dancing with her. She placed a hand on his chest, looking up at him. Klaus had a serious look on his face. She tilted her head to one side, questioning what he was doing.

"If telling me that story was supposed to make me like Tyler more, you're horribly wrong." His lips twitched, which meant he was holding back a smile. That only made Caroline giggle.

"You shared with me, so I shared with you." She said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Caroline, don't ever think you're not good enough. You're more than good enough. You're everything." He said quietly, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"I'm still scared though."

"I know, sweetheart. I am too."

Caroline sighed. Sometimes it felt like their relationship was going nowhere. They had just confessed their past love lives to each other and yet they were still scared to take the next step with each other. She pulled away and nodded toward the gym.

"We better get back. The teachers will probably start roaming the halls in a bit."

Klaus nodded and they both walked back to the gym, hand in hand. They spent the rest of Homecoming dancing and talking with the group. Caroline could see that some people were giving them looks, not sure why Klaus Mikaelson was at a school dance. She didn't give them a second thought though. Caroline was having fun with her friends and that's what mattered most to her. Her and Klaus might be at a stalemate, but what else was she supposed to do? She couldn't stop thinking about it though, even on the car ride home. They had all gone back to Elena's house to get their cars, and then everyone parted ways. It was raining by now and they all ran to their vehicles trying to keep from getting soaked. Klaus offered to drive Caroline home in her car. She gratefully accepted, feeling too tired to drive. Caroline was quiet the entire ride home. She knew Klaus could tell something was up, but he kept quiet too, not wanting to disturb her thoughts. After a long and silent car ride, they arrived at Caroline's house. Her mom still wasn't home, so it was just her car in the driveway. Klaus was nice enough to walk, or run in this case, to the front door with her. The two of them stared at each other, not sure exactly how to say goodbye. They were more than friends at this point, but they weren't dating yet either. Why couldn't things just be simple between them? She wasn't sure if their talk had helped or hindered them at this point. Were things really going to be awkward now?

"Um…I had a lot of fun tonight. More than I thought I would." He smiled.

"Yea…me too." Caroline grinned back, playing with her fingers. Yup. Awkward.

"So…I'll call you then?" Klaus offered. He had his hands in his pockets, not really sure what to say.

"Yea." Caroline said quietly.

"Great! Awesome…I'll talk to you soon then."

"You're going to walk home in this rain?"

"Always do."

"Oh…ok then. I guess I'll see you around."

"Until next time." Klaus bowed to her, giving her one last smile and lingering his gaze a bit before slowly walking down the porch steps.

Caroline watched as her mystery man walked away from her. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Opening up to each other was supposed to help, not set things back. They had both admitted they were scared to step forward, so did that mean that this wasn't going anywhere? That she should just give up on him? He had told her she was _everything_ and all she had to offer was that she was still scared. This man gave her reason to believe in him time and time again, and here she was with her guard still up. No. It wasn't going to be like this. If this relationship failed, at least Caroline could say they gave it a shot. It wasn't supposed to end before it started though. She smiled and grabbed her heels, quickly taking them off as she went down the porch steps. She ran on the wet pavement in the direction Klaus had gone off in. Man he walked fast. Why did it have to be raining so freaking hard as well? She was going to catch such a bad cold from this, but she was just too happy from her epiphany to care.

"Klaus!" She yelled.

He stopped and turned around where he stood under the streetlight, his eyes widening at the soaked Caroline. She walked quickly to where he was, frozen in place. Before he had the chance to say anything, she brought her lips to his. The sparks flew as her hands came to cup his face. It took him a minute to register what was going on, but when he did, he was no shy man. He wrapped his arms around her, entangling his fingers in her drenched hair. His mouth molded around her own, his tongue dashing out to taste the peach lip-gloss that covered her lips. She could hear Klaus let out a moan from deep in his throat. The smell of his cologne seemed to be all around her. Her knees would have given out by now if he hadn't been holding on so tight to her. Caroline reluctantly pulled away as she realized their hunger wouldn't be satisfied anytime soon, and this could end up going a lot farther than the both of them probably wanted. They were both having trouble catching their breath, the close contact with him making her skin tingle as well. Her eyes met his, and she could see the lust that filled them.

"Why?" He said, his voice a bit husky as he spoke. Caroline knew he wasn't asking why she had pulled away. Even if she was asking herself that, noticing just how inviting his lips looked right now.

"I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to keep doing this dance that we've been doing. We obviously like each other and want each other and dammit I just…I just want to be with you."

"I've been yours for some time now, angel." He rasped, resting his forehead against hers.

She closed her eyes, a huge grin on her face. Why oh why had the two of them been stubborn and hadn't just been brave enough to take the first step toward this? Klaus picked her up to cradle her as he walked her back to her house. Caroline just rested her head on his shoulder, completely content with how the night had gone. She had been so close to just letting him walk away. Words couldn't describe how happy she was that she had gone after him. When they arrived back on her porch, the two of them were absolutely soaking wet. She could tell he hesitated a bit when he set her down. Klaus hadn't wanted to let her go.

"Stay." Caroline whispered.

"I'd be dead by morning if your parents saw me here." Klaus chuckled.

"My parents are divorced, so my dad doesn't even live here. And my mom normally stays at the station for long hours at a time. It's you and me." Caroline grinned.

"Well, if you insist then."

"I do." She giggled and opened the front door. Caroline put her purse and heels down before closing the door and pointing to the downstairs bathroom.

"In there. I don't want you dripping water everywhere. I'll go get you towels and some pants my dad left in the house." She ordered. He gave her a funny look but he followed her instructions. She was so ready to get out of these clothes. Caroline would probably kill herself later though for getting this dress so wet, but it had been well worth it. She quickly ran up to get him some towels and a pair of black sweat pants her dad had left behind. While she was up there, she changed out of her dress and put on a dry pair of pajamas. After she hung her dress over the bathtub, she hurried downstairs and placed the pants and towels outside the door and knocked.

"They're out here. I'll be upstairs when you finish. Just place your suit on our dryer, it's by the kitchen." She smiled and hurried back upstairs, attending to her hair. She took all the clips out and began brushing the tangles away. After that, she brushed her teeth and headed back into her room. Klaus was already there when she came out, just sitting on the edge of her bed. He grinned when he saw her.

"Couldn't find a shirt, sweetheart?"

"Nope. Dad didn't seem to leave any. We were lucky he had even left the pants behind." It wasn't a complete lie, although if she looked hard enough, she could probably find something of his that would fit. Klaus's bare chest was much more preferable though. She giggled and hopped onto the bed, leaning in to kiss him. It was nice being able to do that whenever she wanted now. When she pulled back, Caroline crawled up the bed so that she could get under the covers. She patted the spot next to her, telling Klaus to get over there. He got the hint and chuckled as he went to lie beside her.

"At least I remember getting in the same bed with you this time." He mused.

"What a relief that is." She giggled and rested her head on his chest as he put his arm around her.

Caroline felt her eyelids sagging with exhaustion. It had been a long night and she was ready to get some well-earned sleep. Klaus's breathing had slowed and she guessed he had fallen asleep. A small smile formed on her lips as sleep soon overtook her as well. Now this…felt right.


	8. A New Scheme

"I'm bored." Rebekah complained from an armchair in Vicki's living room. It was after midnight and she had told her parents she would be out for the night since it was Homecoming and all. They hadn't cared about it. She wasn't sure if that relieved her or worried her more.

"Then occupy yourself, Bex." Jules spoke from the couch, sitting in between Mason and Stefan.

"It's so much more fun when someone else does though."

"Are you not tired after that dance? It's been a long night." Stefan sighed, exhausted from keeping up with Rebekah all evening. He knew she was high maintenance, but it was more annoying nowadays then it used to be.

"Shut up, Stefan. I'm in a bad mood and it's not ideal for you to be messing with me." Rebekah sneered.

"You're just upset because you saw Klaus with Caroline tonight." Stefan countered.

"Must we relive that?" Rebekah sighed.

"Yeah, do we have to? I mean come on. Tyler and I won Homecoming King and Queen. Shouldn't we be celebrating instead of complaining?" Vicki whined from the floor where she sat with Tyler.

"Since when do you know how to do anything _but_ complain, Vicki?" Rebekah hissed. She rolled her eyes and sat up, facing Stefan. "Love, would you run to the store down the block and get me something to eat? I'm starving and Vicki doesn't have anything here." She jutted out her lower lip, trying to give him her best set of puppy eyes.

"Um…sure. Why not." He shrugged and kissed her forehead before grabbing his jacket and heading to the front door. Once Rebekah heard the door shut, she went to planning.

"Guys, we need to do something about Caroline and her crew soon."

"You know Bex, I don't think they're that much of a threat. C'mon, we wouldn't have won the crowns tonight if any of them were." Vicki suggested.

"You were the one who wanted to do something about all of them in the first place!"

"Well, I changed my mind!"

"Ugh! Fine…but I want Caroline away from my brother. Are we clear?"

"Why are you so hung up about this? If Vicki can let go, I would have thought you could have too. I'm starting to think this isn't about Caroline possibly breaking his heart. I think you're jealous of the attention he's giving her…" Jules questioned.

"I just don't like her with Niklaus, ok?" snapped Rebekah, "She shouldn't be with him! I'm not jealous of some whore."

"Chill, Rebekah! We'll do something. What do you have in mind?" Tyler asked. He still wasn't fond of the idea that Caroline was hanging out with Klaus.

"I'm not entirely sure yet. I was hoping one of you guys had an idea." Rebekah mused, cooling down a little. It had to be something bad. Something that would separate the two indefinitely, not just cause a little fight. They would have to aim whatever their plan was directly at Klaus or Caroline. Preferably Caroline, she didn't like the thought of Klaus getting caught up in this. It had to be something where Caroline looked bad to him, not the other way around. Otherwise he would try to fix it.

"Not a damn clue." Tyler sighed heavily.

They all sat in silence for what seemed like ages, thinking about where to go from there. Rebekah knew they had to hurry though before Stefan got back, otherwise they would have to continue this conversation later. She just couldn't trust him not to go to Caroline and her friends with this to warn them of whatever they decided on doing. Stefan couldn't know about what they were planning.

Speak of the devil…Rebekah could hear the front door squeak open. Fantastic. She looked at the rest of the gang and put a slender finger to her lips.

"We'll talk more on Monday."

* * *

"Ok, I sent Mason off with Stefan. We'll have the lunch table to ourselves for a while." Tyler whispered conspiratorially.

"Perfect. Now we have to keep in mind that whatever we think of, we have to make sure it actually works this time. I don't want to half-ass it like last time." Rebekah said.

She tapped her manicured fingers on the lunch table, unsure of what they could possibly do. Why was it so hard to think of something? Maybe it was because she actually had to be sneaky with this plan. She was used to just being a bitch when she felt like it, not having to scheme something so secretly. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked around the lunchroom, as if something would just pop into her mind at any moment if she looked at the right object.

Surprisingly, it did.

"Jules, what's that?"

"This? Excuse for missing a class last week. The one we skipped to go grab something to eat? Remember?"

"Yes I remember. You're parents aren't home though. How'd you get them to sign a note for you?"

"C'mon Becca, you know better than that. My parents would _hate_ if I skipped a class. They would never write me a note. Plus, you're right they are out of town."

"Then mind explaining how you got that?" Rebekah asked impatiently.

Jules just smiled and wrote down a location and a question, sliding the paper to Rebekah.

"The girl you're looking for can be found there during lunch. That's normally where she is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She's excellent at forging. You can find her sitting in the corner with a book in her hands probably. Ask her this question and she'll know what you want. She's very serious about keeping what she does on the DL." Jules whispered.

"I think I'll pay her a visit then." Rebekah smiled mischievously, getting up and strutting out of the lunchroom. An idea slowly began to form in her head. Hopefully this time it would be something she could pull off.

* * *

Rebekah entered the library, looking in every corner of the room. In the corner closest to the window, there sat a girl with her back facing the library entrance. When Rebekah moved closer, she could see that the girl did indeed have a book in her hand, scribbling something down on some paper with her other hand. How studious of her.

As Rebekah approached the girl, she looked up only once before continuing with her notes.

"Hello."

"Hello." Rebekah said as she slowly took a seat opposite of the girl. She looked up from her books at Rebekah with a questioning look.

"May I help you with something?"

"Yes, I was just wondering…does the cow jump over the moon?" Ugh. Rebekah couldn't believe that was the question she had to ask. The girl's face showed that she now understood why Rebekah was there. A small smile formed on her lips. It was obvious she was trying to keep from laughing.

"Yes, yes it does." The girl said, closing her book and leaning closer to Rebekah so they could whisper. "How may I be of service?"

"I need a note."

"Here I thought you wanted a cookie," the girl rolled her eyes and continued, "Obviously it has something to do with a note. What class are we talking about? What teacher?"

"It's not some class excuse that I need. It needs to be a note from a boy to a girl."

The girl narrowed her eyes and looked at Rebekah suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because I'm a good friend." Rebekah stuck her hand in her purse to bring out twenty dollars, placing it on the table that was between the girls.

"Oh sweetie, you'll need more than that." The girl cooed.

Rebekah huffed as she got out another twenty-dollar bill. Bitch.

"That's more like it." The girl smiled slyly as she took the forty dollars and stuffed it into her bag.

"Ok, so whatever you need this note for…it's none of my business. What I will need from you is something with the signature of this boy that you want the note to be from. Unless he's fictitious, then I'll just use my imagination. I also need the message that you want to be on this note. Get me these things and you will have your note." The girl spoke in a very business like manner. Rebekah could tell she had done this a lot.

"Excellent. I'll meet you back here Wednesday with all the necessary items."

"I'll be waiting."

Rebekah got up to leave when a question came to mind. "Why do you have people ask that question?"

"For my own personal amusement."

"Oh."

"Anything else?" she said in a bored tone.

"No, nothing. It was a pleasure doing business with you. I'm Rebekah Mikaelson."

"Everybody knows who you are, dearest."

"Good to know then." Rebekah sighed and went to leave. The other girl spoke before she had the chance to get too far though.

"My name is Katherine. Katherine Pierce."


	9. Parties Suck

"Stop drawing in my notebook!" Caroline giggled as she grabbed her notebook from Klaus's iron tight grip. He smiled as he held on for dear life, continuing whatever masterpiece he was working on.

"Works of art take time, sweetheart."

"You're doodling and it's a wolf. It's not Van Gough." She smiled as she gave in and let him keep the notebook.

They were currently in art class, supposedly working on the current assignment. Everyone in class was being loud though. It's what normally happened on Fridays. The teacher just didn't care what they did at the end of the week. It had been almost two weeks since Homecoming, so it was about mid October now. Caroline sincerely hoped the teacher would let them do this every Friday for the rest of the year. It was art class after all. Weren't they supposed to share their artistic abilities with the other students and discuss amongst themselves?

Caroline watched as Klaus flipped through the pages of her book. It was her doodle book. It was the place she would draw all of her fashion and jewelry designs that she planned on using when she made it big in New York after she graduated from this place. She watched as his expression changed from an amused look to one of focus.

"These are really good, Caroline. Why haven't you showed me before?"

"I don't know. The topic never came up I guess."

"So this is something you're passionate about?"

"Yea. I really want to move to New York after we graduate and get into something that involves designing. I know it will probably be a while before I could actually have my own line of clothing, but I'm willing to work for it."

"I think you'll do a fantastic job. Your work is almost as good as mine." He grinned as Caroline punched him on the shoulder playfully.

"And what about you, Mr. Mikaelson? What are your plans after graduation?"

"I haven't really thought about it before."

"Not at all? What about your drawings?"

"I'm not going into fashion design." He smirked.

"I didn't mean that," Caroline giggled, "but what about selling your pictures? You haven't imagined some of your work being in an art gallery?"

"The thought's crossed my mind. I just have little faith in that daydream actually coming true."

"Don't sell yourself so short." She smiled, taking his hand in hers and giving it a soft squeeze. Caroline had seen his drawings and they were amazing…probably better than her own designs. Klaus just needed a little push in the right direction.

"I'll think on it."

"That's all I ask," Caroline turned to continue working on the assignment at hand. It was pretty simple stuff. If she had to guess, it was probably just busy work. All they had to do was draw something that was in the room. The teacher had said it was just to sharpen their artistic skills. Her choice had been to sketch a book that was on the shelf next to the window. Klaus hadn't even touched his paper. He was too busy drawing wolves in her notebook still. She smiled as she turned around so her back was against their table and her legs were crossed. Caroline attempted to give Klaus a faux seductive look, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Draw me like one of your French girls." She said in a high-pitched voice.

Klaus started laughing quietly, obviously trying to keep from drawing attention to himself by busting out. He leaned in close to Caroline's ear to whisper to her.

"I think we'd need a wardrobe change for that, angel." He grinned and kissed her softly on the cheek before returning to his doodle.

"You wish." She mumbled to herself, grinning like a little girl. As if that thought hadn't crossed her mind already. Caroline looked at the clock. Only fifteen minutes left until she was home free for the weekend. Her drawing was basically done at this point. She leaned in closer to Klaus, watching him draw his wolf.

"Oh! Are you going to the Salvatore's birthday party at the end of the month? It's a costume party since it's so close to Halloween. Everyone from our lunch table is going. It would mean a lot if you came with me." She gave her best set of puppy eyes.

"Darling, you're lucky I went to Homecoming after that party at Jules's house. Parties and places with large crowds aren't my scene."

"I beg to differ. I found that party quite memorable. There was this boy there and he ended up being the highlight of my evening."

He chuckled. "Well I guess I can't argue with that. Some girl ended up saving my ass that night."

"She sounds pretty remarkable." The thought of his words that night came rushing back to her, making her grin.

"She is." He smiled, giving her a sideways glance. Caroline couldn't help but blush. Damn him.

"Well if she is so remarkable, you should probably go to this party with her. Especially since Elena will be occupied with one of the birthday boys. Not to mention Bonnie and Matt have gotten closer, so they'll be stuck at the hip."

"Alright, alright," He chuckled, "I'll go with you."

"Yay!" She clapped her hands together.

"So what are you dressing up as? Please tell me it's not a slutty nurse…or anything slutty for that matter."

Caroline giggled. Klaus was so different from other guys sometimes. He had told her before that he would much prefer a girl with class than a girl who had her legs open for all the guys she met. Which meant he was pretty much the opposite of every guy in this school.

"I was thinking Tinkerbell." Caroline watched as his expression became horrified.

"I'm not going as fucking Peter Pan. There is no way in hell I'm wearing tights."

Caroline did her best to keep from doubling over with laughter. He thought they had to match? Oh dear god. Tears came to her eyes as she pictured Klaus in lime green tights and a little green hat to match. When she finally looked at Klaus, his face was confused, wondering what in the hell she thought was so funny about this. It only made her want to laugh more. She finally settled herself before speaking again.

"You don't…Hun, you don't have to match me," She bit her lip to keep from laughing more, "I'm not even sure if it's what I'm going to dress up as."

"Oh thank god." Klaus let out a huge sigh of relief.

Just then the bell rang. Finally, class was over. She gathered her books up and waited for Klaus to tear his doodle out of her book before giving it back to her. Caroline raised an eyebrow questioningly before shaking her head and heading to the front of the room to turn her picture in. She watched by the door as Klaus handed the teacher his wolf drawing, giving her a little wink before walking over to Caroline. She could see the teacher shake her head, a small smile on her lips. Caroline was pretty sure she was just happy Klaus was even attempting to participate. The expectations teachers had for him were pretty low, and that was just how he liked it. She giggled as he came up to put an arm around her shoulders, the two of them walking out of class together.

Yup…that was her man alright.

* * *

_Caroline,_

_Meet me upstairs. I have a surprise for you._

_-Klaus_

Rebekah looked at her note. Katherine had given it to her last week when she had given Katherine a piece of paper with Klaus's signature on it and what she wanted the message on the note to be. It looked exactly like a note Klaus would write. The forgery was perfect and Katherine had done an excellent job.

If everything went according to plan, this would hopefully tear Caroline apart so much so, that she wouldn't want to see Klaus again. The Salvatore birthday party was in two weeks, and she was sure Caroline would go. Whether Klaus went or didn't go was not important. This would work for either occasion, Rebekah had made sure of that.

Her phone buzzed, announcing an incoming text message. It was from Katherine.

_You're lucky I'm good with Photoshop. They're finished._

Rebekah smiled to herself as she typed out a response.

_Perfect. I'll pick them up at your house. Thanks._

Everything was slowly falling into place. The only question left would be if Caroline believed the set-up or phone buzzed.

_No, thank you. You still owe me another $20 ;)_

Dammit. She sighed and threw her phone on the desk beside her bed. The girl was expensive, but hopefully well worth it. From somewhere downstairs, she could hear a glass shatter. Seemed like her father was drinking again…and he wasn't happy.

Rebekah tiptoed to her door; as if someone would hear her if she just walked over there like she usually would. Mikael was yelling again. Nik was home apparently. She sighed as she heard footsteps on the stairs. Slowly, she opened her door just to see through a tiny crack. He didn't look happy, but he didn't have any bruises or new cuts. She sighed, closing the door quietly and leaning against it on the floor. Niklaus deserved better than this place.

Everyone thought Rebekah was just jealous of the attention he was giving Caroline. Which…she would be lying to herself if that wasn't partially true. Caroline was a small town girl though. She would stay here and have a white picket fence life. If her and Klaus continued dating, he would end up joining her. When Klaus was into a girl, he was in for the long haul. He would stay with Caroline here if that were what she wanted. Klaus didn't need to be here though. Rebekah knew he had to be away from their father…far, far away.

And that was the truth. No matter what she told everybody else and no matter what she told herself…the truth was that she loved Nik and just wanted to see him get away from this place.

And what she had planned was the only way it would happen.


	10. A Tale As Old As Time

"Got enough food there, Matt?"

"No, that's why I plan on going back for seconds."

Caroline chuckled as she watched Matt dig into his plate that was piled high with an assortment of food. The lunch table gang had decided to go to Big Mama's Buffet. There were still a few hours before the Salvatore Birthday Bash, so they had decided to grab a late lunch together.

"Man, are you even going to be hungry later?" Damon asked.

"Dude, my stomach is a black abyss. It's never full." Matt grinned as if absolutely nothing was wrong…even if he was eating like a pregnant woman. Caroline knew that was just Matty though. He had always had the stomach of a hippopotamus.

"Whatever. Just save room for cake later," Damon rolled his eyes, "Back to the more important topic of, what did everyone get me?"

"It's Stefan's birthday too," Elena giggled.

"Shh, it's ok. You guys can pretend you forgot we were twins," he whispered conspiratorially.

"We're not telling you, Damon. So you can just drop it," Bonnie whispered back.

"Can you at least tell me what you all plan to go as?" Damon pouted.

"A witch," Bonnie said proudly. Caroline chuckled. For some reason, witches in movies and TV shows had always fascinated Bonnie.

"Xena…warrior princess," Elena stated proudly. When everyone looked at her with a confused expression, she elaborated.

"The mighty woman warrior who fought evil? Come on guys…"

"I knew that," Damon stated. Although he obviously hadn't known what a Xena was. He smirked as he announced what his costume would be.

"A caveman."

Everyone at the table laughed at that, including Damon. He was serious though, Caroline could tell. He had every intention of going as a caveman.

"What about you, Care?" Matt asked.

"I'm not sure yet. _This_ one refuses to tell me what he's going to go as. I promised him we wouldn't have to match, so we won't." Caroline nudged Klaus, who was being awfully quiet during this whole lunch. He seemed to come back to reality after she pushed his knee a little.

"Well, I've got to keep you guessing, sweetheart," he said.

"Then I'm going to keep _you_ guessing. Everyone will know my costume when we get to Salvatore's house tonight," Caroline grinned smugly. Let's see how he liked _them_ apples.

Klaus only chuckled at her show though, before going back into his own head. Caroline frowned a little. Something seemed wrong with him…like he was in another world entirely. Did something happen that Caroline was unaware of? For the past week Klaus had seemed distant from her. He refused to say anything about why he was, which constantly kept her in the dark. Maybe she could bring it up to him later.

"If anyone cares to know…I'm going as a sumo wrestler." Matt smiled.

"You will if you keep eating like that," Bonnie said.

"What? Ashamed of going with a man who embraces his lady lumps?"

"No, just one who wears a diaper." Bonnie winked. Ugh. Why didn't those two just start dating already? They had gotten closer these past two months of school, but they still hadn't even talked about going out with each other. Caroline could tell Matt was into her. She had known a long time ago that Bonnie was into him. Therefore, things between them needed to speed up.

"Guys, sorry to eat and ditch…but, I have to get to my house. Stefan will kill me if I leave him to do all the preparations." Damon smiled and kissed Elena on the lips before grabbing his jacket and leaving. Once he was out of earshot, Caroline asked what had been on her mind since Jules's party.

"Elena, where are Damon's parents? Why aren't they setting up this party?"

Elena kind of fidgeted in her seat, like she wasn't sure how to answer. Her face suddenly got really sad too.

"Car accident."

That was all Elena needed to say. Caroline's mouth dropped open. Couldn't just one person at this table have a mom and dad that were still present in their lives and/or living? Poor Damon and Stefan. They ran that house all by themselves. It was the reason Damon had seemed so sad at Jules's party when she asked if his parents would mind them staying there. It looked like Klaus was the only one with parents who were still around.

"I'm so sorry, Elena."

Elena just shook her head and went back to eating. It was the same way her parents had died. Caroline knew there wasn't much she could say.

"Guys, let's get off the depressing topic, ok? Let's talk about what time we want to meet at the party," Matt said through a mouthful of food.

"I'd say around nine o'clock? Sound good?" Caroline raised her eyebrows, nodding that that was a good time for her. The table agreed.

"I think Matt and I should go before he eats everything Big Mama has here," Bonnie said, giggling as she did.

"Awww come on!" Matt frowned but stood up. They waved their goodbyes, and shortly after, Elena stood up as well.

"I'm going to go help Damon and Stefan out. My costume is over there already so I can change at their house. I'll see you two later." Elena smiled and waved goodbye. Now it was just Caroline and Klaus. Maybe this would be a good time to talk? Since they were finally alone.

"You ok, Hun? You seem distant." Caroline placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. He woke from his daze again and gave her a small smile.

"Just some things on my mind. Nothing to worry about." He shook his hand, dismissing the matter. Guess this wasn't a good time to talk.

"You know I'm here if you need to talk, right?"

"I know, angel. I know." Klaus grinned and kissed her on the cheek before standing up and offering his hand. She took it and they walked out of the buffet together. Something still seemed off though. What was he not telling her?

* * *

That night, Caroline had told Klaus to go ahead because she was still having trouble deciding on what she wanted to go dressed as. Tinkerbell was simply out of the question. She didn't want that nickname to stick.

When she was up in her room looking through her closet full of costumes, the doorbell rang. Her mom was at work, so she had to answer it. Didn't people know she was very busy at the moment? She sighed and put the costume she had in her hands down before trudging down the stairs. It would be nice occasionally if her mom actually showed up around the house. A little help would be nice.

"Who is it?"

No answer.

Hmm. She opened the door, but found no one standing on the other side. Well that was weird. If someone was playing ding-dong ditch with here…she would _so_ be having some nasty words with whoever it was. Just as she was about to close the door, something caught her eye. It was a box…a gift specifically. It was a white box with red ribbon tied around it, making a pretty bow at the top. There was a card that had her name scribbled on it in fancy handwriting. She stepped outside and looked around once more for whoever dropped the present off. Huh. Caroline sighed and took the present inside and back up to her room.

It was a decent sized box. When she shook it, it only made a little noise. She decided to start with the card. It read:

_Caroline,_

_I know I've seemed preoccupied this past week, and I'm sorry that it's bothered you. I just don't want to burden you with the things that go on in my head. Please take this gift as my apology. It might help with your costume conundrum as well._

_-Klaus_

She smiled at the note, quickly going to the ribbon to undo it. Caroline had wished he would have staid with her if he was going to drop this off. She could think of a few things to do with him before the party started as a thank you of her own. They hadn't reached the point in their relationship where they had sexy time, but Caroline knew it would be approaching fast. She was freaking horny! Klaus wanted to take things slow, and so did she, but a woman has needs. Caroline was _this_ close to jumping him the next time he spent the night. She shoved those thoughts from her mind for now as she opened the gift.

Her eyes widened at what was in the box.

She pulled out the very beautiful dress that was lying inside, and held it up to her so she could look in the mirror. The dress was a pale yellow, off the shoulder ensemble. It was floor length and ruffled out below the waist. Above the waist it looked as if it would hug her body tightly, showing her curves off in a respectable way. A pair of matching yellow gloves accompanied the dress. It was breathtaking. It was also going to be her costume for tonight.

* * *

The Salvatore house was buzzing with excitement as everyone talked and danced. The music was blaring, as it normally does at a party. The boarding house was full as well. As soon as Caroline walked into the house, she caught Bonnie and Elena's attention. The two girls gasped as they saw their friend coming inside and walked quickly over to her.

"Care! You look so beautiful!" Elena squealed. Her warrior princess outfit was absolutely stunning, and did wonders for her long legs. The dress was short but it seemed part of the attire. It didn't look slutty to Caroline.

"Where did you find that?" Bonnie asked. Her costume was a dark purple dress that went to the floor. The ends looked tattered and torn, as did the sleeves. A slit on the dress revealed a leg covered in fishnets.

"You both look incredible too! And it was a gift." Caroline blushed. Bonnie and Elena looked at each other knowingly.

"Well then, your Prince Charming is over there talking to Stefan." Elena smiled as Caroline's gaze turned toward the gentleman talking to Superman.

His costume was pretty simple, and he looked like he was dressed as anything but a prince. His over-sized white shirt was torn in a lot of places. His black pants were ripped so that they only went to his knees and they too, looked torn and frayed. He was even going barefoot! Caroline smiled though, because he somehow looked…rugged in his costume. Whatever it may be. His hair seemed scruffy in the most attractive of ways and she knew he had a decent amount of stubble covering his face.

Superman was the first to notice Caroline, sending an elbow to Klaus's stomach to make sure he looked her way too. His gaze fell upon her and he stopped talking immediately. She smiled as they looked at each other for what seemed like ages. He continued to stare at her as she walked to where the men were standing. His face had changed though while she made her way over to him. Klaus's expression had gone from one of admiration to a "deep in thought" look of his. Caroline thought for a moment he was going to bolt…at least until he closed the distance between them and brought her into a very heated kiss. She should wear dresses more often. Good things always came from it.

Caroline sighed when Klaus pulled away, bringing a smile to his face. He stroked her hair, getting some stray pieces out of her face.

"You look ravishing in that dress, angel," Klaus whispered seductively. Chills ran up Caroline's spine.

"And you look…well, like a pirate?" She guessed. He started laughing though.

"I'm the beast to your beauty." He winked, bringing about a _huge_ grin to her lips. He returned her grin, taking her hand and guiding her to the dance floor.

Klaus placed both of his hands around her waist, bringing her in close. Her arms wrapped around his neck. This was the closest she had felt to him all week. He had agreed with her upfront in his note that there was something on his mind. If he didn't want to share, however, she couldn't force him to. She wanted him to tell her because he wanted to. She placed a hand on his cheek, bringing her lips to his. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and her heart seemed to flutter. She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks as he deepened the kiss. His lips felt soft, a weird contrast considering the prickle under her gloved hand from his stubble. When they pulled apart for air, their foreheads rested against each other. Caroline met Klaus's stare and saw something she hadn't seen in them for a long time. Vulnerability. He was looking at her as if she was something truly special. His gaze was soft as his hand came to caress her cheek.

"Caroline," he whispered, his breath warm against her lips, "Caroline, I…"

"Klaus!"

Shit. This couldn't have waited five seconds?

Klaus's face had the same expression that Caroline was sure her face had. His was probably a lot more menacing though. He turned around to face the annoying brat who had rudely interrupted them. It was Vicki. For some reason, Caroline wasn't entirely surprised.

"Can I borrow you for a second?" Vicki asked sweetly.

"Can it wait for just a couple of minutes?" Klaus hissed.

"Not really. Rebekah sent me over here. Said it was important."

Klaus inhaled deeply and faced Caroline.

"I will be back as quick as I can. Promise." He left a long, passionate kiss on her lips before stalking off behind Vicki, obviously pissed about the interruption.

Well, this sucked. Caroline walked around the boarding house looking for her friends. Luckily, it was time for the birthday boys to blow out the candles, so it was easy for her to find Elena and Bonnie. The three talked after the cake had been cut. Bonnie had told them that Matt had waddled off somewhere, hopefully not getting smashed again. Although all three agreed he was a fun drunk to take care of. Elena had been with Damon for most of the night, but seeing as he was the birthday boy, he had to go and mingle around the room.

The time ticked by slowly. Klaus had been gone for over thirty minutes, and Caroline was starting to worry that something had happened. Right as she had decided to go looking for him, Vicki came up to her. What did this bitch want now?

"Hi," Caroline said monotonously.

"Whatever. Klaus told me to give you this. Apparently him and Becca had 'important family issues' to take care of. Says he's real sorry and that this should make up for it." Vicki didn't sound too sympathetic about any of it.

"Thanks."

"Bye." Vicki strutted off in her way too short nurses costume.

Caroline unfolded the piece of paper.

_Caroline,_

_Meet me upstairs. I have a surprise for you._

_-Klaus_

Caroline smiled at the fancy handwriting. She looked around to see if she could spot him, get an idea of what he was planning. He was nowhere to be found, however, so she figured he was already upstairs. She smiled and walked up the stairs, realizing he didn't give a specific room to go into. The boarding house was full of extra rooms. How was she supposed to know which one? She sighed and tried the first room on the left. Two people were in the middle of a heavy make-out session. Not that one. She quickly closed the door.

Then she tried the room on the right that her and Klaus had spent the night in together. She smiled as she walked in, all of the memories coming back to her. Nothing in the room had changed, except that the bed was now made. She smoothed her dress down before taking a seat on the edge.

Suddenly, the door creaked shut behind her. She whipped her head around expecting to see Klaus standing there. It wasn't Klaus though.

It was _Tyler_ …and with a Batman costume on.

"Tyler? What are you doing here?" She furrowed her brows, a little uncomfortable being in the same room as her ex and Klaus's enemy.

"Oh! Caroline…I'm sorry. I didn't see you there for some reason," he shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Are you ok?"

"Me? Yea…yea I'm fine." Tyler gave her a weak smile, attempting to reassure that he was dandy. She didn't buy it. Caroline had dated him for all of freshman year after all.

"Take a seat. Share your woes," she said, patting the spot next to her. He may be a jerk, but Caroline could tell something was bothering him. It would be rude and too much like him to just ignore it.

He hesitated before slowly going over to her and taking a seat. He clasped his hands together in front of him and looked at the floor.

"I'm not sure you're the one I should be sharing my woes with."

"And why is that?"

"Um…" Tyler looked as if the cat had gotten his tongue. What was wrong with him? She placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to spit it out. He sighed heavily.

"Vicki cheated on me."

"What? You two are inseparable."

"That's what I thought."

"Well how was that so hard to share with me? I won't tell anyone if that's the problem."

"It's not."

"Then what is?

"It's who she cheated with."

"Well how in the hell does that have anything to do with…" She stopped, and immediately pulled her hand away from Tyler's shoulder.

"Tyler…who did she cheat with?"

He shifted on the bed, obviously uncomfortable with telling her. She pushed him, hard.

"Tyler! Who. Did. She. Cheat. With?"

Tyler sighed before reaching into one of his pockets. She didn't know how he had pockets on that costume, but it was irrelevant at this point. He handed her a picture.

Not just any picture…a picture of Vicki and Klaus together. Her hand was on his cheek and their lips were touching in a very intimate way. This was no quick peck. Caroline threw the picture away from her, tears welling up in her eyes. It couldn't be…that couldn't be real.

"I'm sorry," Tyler said, his voice thick. He was just as upset about seeing Vicki with someone else. Especially the one man he hated.

Caroline lost it. She started crying…bawling actually. Why did she keep losing guys to Vicki? Caroline sobbed into Tyler's shoulder, his arm slowly going around her as she did. Not Klaus…she couldn't lose Klaus…this was so unfair.

"How could…he do this to _m_ e," she said into his shoulder. The words came out a bit muffled, but he seemed to understand.

"I could ask the same thing about Vicki."

Caroline didn't understand. Downstairs…she had been so sure that…oh it didn't matter. After that picture, she felt nothing for him. How could he do that, after everything she had told him at Homecoming a month ago? He still pretended to care and act like he wouldn't do any of that to her.

"I'm sorry, Caroline…for everything. If this is how you felt when I got with Vicki…I…" Tyler was trying to apologize? She didn't understand this night at all. One moment she was dancing with Klaus, and the next…

The next she was kissing Tyler on the lips.

He didn't pull away either. It started out slow; past feelings returning to that one kiss though made it grow intense. Klaus had really hurt her tonight. Why would he care if she kissed Tyler when he apparently had Vicki? Tyler's hand came to cup Caroline's cheek as their lips found a steady rhythm. Something felt…off though. This kiss…it was missing something. It didn't feel right…

"I told you."

The girl's voice rang through the air, forcing Tyler and Caroline to break apart. The door had somehow opened without the two of them realizing it. Standing in the middle of the doorway were Rebekah and Klaus.

Before anyone could say something though, Klaus had jumped Tyler, his fists wailing on him. Tyler tried to block but to no avail. Klaus was swinging hard, and there was no stopping him. Rebekah was yelling at the door for Klaus to stop while Caroline tried grabbing Klaus from behind the waist.

"Stop! Klaus stop hitting him!" Caroline yelled.

A squeal escaped her lips as she got both her and Klaus to fall back. It gave Tyler enough time to get up and run from the room. The two of them sat on the floor, both a big mess. Her hair was messy and she knew her dress had ripped somewhere because she had heard it tear when she pulled Klaus back. He turned his gaze from where Tyler had run to where Caroline was sitting now. She could see his body shaking with rage, but his eyes were showing more than that.

Fury. Hurt. Betrayal. Confusion.

Her eyes held nothing but disdain for the man sitting in front of her. He had hurt her. She shouldn't have to feel sorry for hurting him. And she wouldn't have…had that one, lone tear not fell down his face. His mouth was set in a thin line as he quickly got up and marched from the room. Rebekah was still standing in the doorway, shock on her face. She took one look at Caroline before running off after Klaus.

Caroline felt empty inside. What had just happened? She didn't bother picking up the picture as she moved to lie on the bed. This night had gone to hell so quickly that it all seemed like a blur. She curled up to a pillow and didn't try to stop the tears that fell. All the gifts, the notes, the kisses, it had all meant nothing to him. She had told herself that she would never get hurt like she did after Tyler, yet here she was. When had she gotten in this deep to begin with? They had taken things slow. They had done everything right. Why was it that when she felt like this, all she wanted was for Klaus to come and wipe her tears away? Yea, it was stupid. Caroline hadn't had a man for years, why did she need one to wipe her tears now?

It was probably because she didn't need just any man. She needed Klaus. He had hurt her though and she wasn't sure that would ever be repaired. Even if she wanted to apologize for the kiss…his face…there was no way he would talk to her. He had looked so hurt. What did he expect would happen? She would run into his arms knowing he cheated on her with Vicki? Klaus said he had been hers for a while now, even before they started dating. It ended up being just some stupid romantic crap he thought she would want to hear. Why would he say it though if he didn't mean it? What was he really getting out of it?

Caroline's thoughts were going in a million different directions at once. Which made her incapable of focusing on just one of those questions. She couldn't even remember when Elena and Bonnie had come in the room to lay down next to her. She didn't know what time it was when her sobbing had stopped and all three of them had fallen asleep. Everything was falling apart and Caroline didn't know how to put it back together again.


	11. Realizations

This was not happening. This was not happening. This was _not_ happening!

Klaus was about to have a breakdown right there on the street. After seeing Caroline…and with _Tyler_ of all guys…he couldn't stay there another second. All he wanted to do was beat Tyler until he couldn't stand up anymore. He wanted to hit him until his anger went away. Until that kiss was erased from his memory.

The night was eerily silent as he walked home. What gave Tyler the right to put his mangy hands on _his_ girl? Tyler lost his chance a long time ago! He had that sorry excuse for a woman as his girlfriend now. What was that dog doing with his angel?

Then again…his angel had been with that dog too.

When she had pulled him off Tyler…her eyes. They had been so angry with him. But why? Why was his girl so upset with him? What had he done to deserve that? Hadn't he been trying hard to be her boyfriend? Did she do it because he had been distant the past week? His fucking family always poisoned his mind; the last thing he had wanted to do was burden her with the details. His father had been in a very unpleasant mood that week. Klaus had taken a few extra beatings for it. It's why he had been so drawn back from everyone.

The house was quiet when he opened the door. He took a quick look around, searching for the man he hated even more than Tyler. Mikael was fast asleep on the couch in his study. Thankfully, Klaus was free of him for the night. He wasn't sure he could take that along with everything that had happened. Not tonight.

He ran up the stairs, going as quickly as he could up to his room. Once inside, he slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. Klaus walked to his notebook that was lying on his desk and began ripping out pages with drawings of Caroline on them, tearing each page to shreds as he did. His breath came quickly, still trying to figure out what had happened. This was Caroline! She wasn't the type to cheat. She was pure, full of light, and everything good in the world. What had changed?

A knock on the door stirred him from his thoughts.

"Klaus? Klaus, brother it's me. It's Rebekah."

"Go away," he said coldly.

"Please let me in. I want to help you."

Klaus sighed, running his hands through his hair once before unlocking the door. Rebekah slowly poked her head in before walking inside and closing the door behind her. He sat on the end of his bed and she joined him there.

"She isn't worth it, Nik."

"How do you know that? You never took the time to talk to her. I mean _really_ talk to her."

"I knew enough to figure out her and Tyler still had something between them. It's better that you know. She can't play games with you anymore."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It should. You're free, Klaus. You're free to go on your own way again. No girl can tie you down."

"She wasn't tying me down, Becca. Caroline…she did so much more for me than I could have ever imagined."

"She was cheating on you! That isn't doing _anything_ for you, brother! Besides…she was a small town girl. You have bigger and better plans in your future. She would just be holding you back."

"Caroline is no small town girl. Staying in this hell hole would never be enough for her."

"How do you know? And why do you keep defending her?"

"Because I know, Rebekah. And why do you insist on talking badly of her? You don't know _anything_ about her!" Klaus was yelling now, standing up as he did. He was no longer able to hear this while sitting. He needed to pace.

"I told you, I know enough. Caroline Forbes is not worth your time and affection. Every girl you've ever been with has been unworthy of your attention. Especially that little bitch at the beginning of the summer. Caroline is no different from her or from the rest of them."

"What makes you think she isn't worth my time? I've had my fair share of shitty luck with girls, but in this _one_ case, what if it's the other way around? What if I'm not worth _her_ time?"

"Stop thinking so little of yourself!"

"Why? Why shouldn't I think so little of myself? You didn't have to see her face tonight! You weren't the one who had to look into that beautiful face and wonder what you did to deserve such hatred…such betrayal!" Klaus's voice hurt from shouting and his body was beginning to shake with anger, "You didn't have to see your worst enemy kissing the one girl who brought happiness into your life! You didn't have to watch as the girl you're in love with ripped your heart out and stomped on it right in front of your face!"

Rebekah sat still on the bed, looking at him with eyes that were glistening with unshed tears. Klaus couldn't place it, but she had a certain expression on her face. Was it shock? He was probably scaring her with his temper, so he took a deep breath to try and calm himself, but his body was still vibrating.

"I know…that you care, sister. I do. With Caroline though…you just don't understand."

Rebekah nodded her head slowly as Klaus spoke. He watched as she stood up and came to stand in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked at him with a comforting expression.

"Make me, Nik. Make me understand. I'm begging you."

Klaus just kept shaking his head, until finally, he collapsed onto his knees, his legs too weak to hold him up anymore. Rebekah caught him, holding him on the floor while he tried composing himself.

"I love her, Rebekah," his voice trembled as his sister petted his hair, trying to calm him.

"I know you do, I know."

"I thought…for the longest time, that good people had ceased to exist. People at school are immature morons, and our parents make my home life miserable. Mother doesn't even try to stop Mikael from hitting me; she just stands by and watches. Elijah moved out, so I can't turn to him for brotherly advice. You're busy with your social life and Kol is too little to be troubled with all of this. Caroline…she showed me that there are people who still _care_ about others. She helped me when no one else would come near me. Everyone else is always so scared to even talk to me, but she…she was brave. Caroline is strong, optimistic, ambitious, kind, and so much more. She told me her dreams about moving to New York, about her bad past with Tyler, and we were just getting started. Now she won't even look at me." Tears began rolling down his cheek as the thought of losing the most important thing in his life actually settled in. Caroline was _gone_.

Rebekah was silently crying while she held Klaus in her arms. He could hear her sobbing quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Nik," she whispered.

"It's not your fault, Becca. I want to be mad at her for kissing Tyler, and a part of me is. But I know I won't be able to stay mad long. I just want to know why she did it. We hadn't even been fighting."

It was silent for a while, the both of them just sitting on the floor. Rebekah continued to comb her fingers through his hair, just holding him. Finally, she took his shoulders in her hands and made him face her.

"Do you trust her?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question. Do you trust her?

"Rebekah she just cheated on me, my faith is a little shak-"

"Do. You. Trust. Her?"

"Yes!" His voice came out a little agitated, wondering where in the hell she was going with this.

"Then trust her to find the path back to you. If it's meant to be…you'll be together. No matter what…"

Rebekah smiled and patted his arm. She stood up and made her way to the door while Klaus was still on the floor. He couldn't help but see the apologetic look she gave him.

"No matter what happens between the two of you, Klaus…just know that I love you and want what's best for you."

And with that, she walked out of his bedroom. The goodbye left Klaus a little perplexed at her meaning. Did she know something he didn't? No. His sister could be devious, but she couldn't be _that_ ruthless. Not enough to break him and Caroline up. He stood up and went to his bed. It had been a long night, and he had longer days ahead of him still. Hopefully Rebekah was right and Caroline would find her way back to him. What if she had chosen Tyler over him for good though? What was he supposed to do if he could never get Caroline back? He pushed the depressing thought to the back of his mind as he tried to fall asleep. Klaus just couldn't think about that right now.

* * *

_ Thanksgiving Day _

It had been almost a month since the Salvatore's birthday party.

Caroline couldn't believe it had actually been that long since her and Klaus had last spoken to each other. He had stopped showing up to art class and he had gone back to sitting by himself at lunch, at least on the days he decided to show up that is. She hadn't tried to talk with him either. Not after seeing that picture. He should be the one coming up to her and apologizing.

That didn't mean Caroline still didn't think about him. Every. Single. Day. She had thought about talking to Tyler a couple days after the incident, try and clear things up between them and tell him it had been a moment of weakness for the both of them. All she had found was Tyler and Vicki together outside by his car, making out. Apparently, he had forgiven her for cheating on him. Caroline wasn't as easy to convince, however.

She couldn't bring herself to just forgive Klaus for cheating on her. He had broken her heart just like Tyler had so long ago. If she let him back in only to have him do the exact same thing again…she wasn't sure she would be able to handle it.

Now…now it was Thanksgiving and she was just happy to be spending it with her friends. All of them had agreed to dinner at the Salvatore boarding house that evening, since it was the biggest and could accompany several people. Her mom was busy working and her dad was with his boyfriend, so Caroline had appreciated the distraction from what would have been a lonely home. Jenna, Alaric, and Elena had arrived with store bought pie, since no one wanted Jenna cooking anything. Jeremy had wanted to go have dinner with his girlfriend, Anna, since Elena got to be with her boyfriend. So he wouldn't be joining them. Bonnie and Matt were there at least, each bringing a dish of their own. Bonnie's grandmother would have come along, but she had said she was tired and just wanted Bonnie to go and have fun with her friends. Stefan and Damon had insisted on cooking most of the dinner too, saying that they were the hosts and it would rude to have their guests do much else besides bring a dish.

Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena were currently laying in the middle of the floor in one of the guest bedrooms, talking about whatever crossed their minds. At the moment, it was Klaus.

"Why haven't you talked to him again?" Elena asked.

"Because I can't forgive him for cheating."

"How do you know he wasn't set up?"

"That picture sure didn't look set up to me." Caroline sighed, not wanting to think about it. Of course the thought had crossed her mind, who would want to believe their boyfriend was cheating on them? But, the picture spoke a thousand words.

"Hey, why isn't Rebekah here with Stefan again?" Bonnie propped herself on her elbow, leaning her head against her hand.

"Damon said she was going out of town with her family. Apparently it's a long vacation, and they'll be gone until around Christmas time," Elena answered.

"Honestly, the less time we have to spend with any Mikaelson, the better." Bonnie chuckled.

"Bonnie!" Elena chucked a pillow at her friend and gave her a pointed look.

"What? It's true. I never liked Rebekah. I liked Klaus because he was good with Caroline. He turned out to be a dick just like Tyler though. I love my friends and anyone who hurts them is not ok in my book."

"Guys, it's fine. I love you both and I know you would kill for me, but he just isn't worth it. It was good while it lasted. This just leaves things open for the future." She smiled, trying to reassure them. Inside…she was just trying to keep it together. Caroline couldn't tell her friends that she still thought about Klaus. She wasn't sure they would understand.

Just then, Matt popped his head into the room, a large grin on his face. Caroline knew that could only mean one thing…

"Food's ready you guys!"

The three girls smiled at the excited boy, all getting up and heading downstairs together. Upon entering the hallway, they could smell all the deliciousness that was wafting up from the dinner downstairs.

They hurried down the stairs and grinned widely at the sight before them. A large, steaming turkey was placed at the center of the table. The table was a buffet of different foods, consisting of yams, mashed potatoes, cranberries, rolls, stuffing, green beans, broccoli, corn, and a couple of casserole dishes that Caroline couldn't name. It was all positively mouth watering, and every thing she could ever hope for in a Thanksgiving feast.

Everybody sat down at the table quickly, Damon taking the seat at the end of the table. He had insisted that Alaric take the place as head of the table, but Alaric had declined respectfully. He told Damon that this was his house, and while only a few minutes older than Stefan, was still technically the oldest. So Damon would have the honor of cutting the turkey tonight.

"Thank you everyone for giving us the honor of hosting this Thanksgiving dinner. Stefan and I are truly blessed to have friends like you guys. In fact, I'm proud to call each and every one of you a member of our family. So please…everyone eat as much as you can withstand and enjoy yourselves." Damon grinned as everyone at the table held their glasses up and gave cheers to his speech.

The dinner went smoothly, everyone talked and ate, happy that they could be together. Jenna and Alaric made a huge announcement to the table. The two lovebirds would be getting married in April! It would be a small ceremony, they had already decided. Jenna wasn't big into the idea of planning a huge wedding. She did appoint Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie as her official assistants though, asking for specific help finding a dress. It wasn't a lot of time to plan a wedding, but Jenna had faith that they could do it. The two of them wanted to get married before the summer for some reason. They refused to share any details as to why, however. Caroline thought it might have been the month that they had met in. She still wasn't sure.

After dinner, Caroline, Elena, Matt, and Bonnie offered to clear the table before dessert. The pies sat on the kitchen counter, just waiting to be cut into. Caroline found herself rushing to get the dishes cleaned up. Her mind kept drifting while she cleaned, thinking about how this would have been better if Klaus could have joined them. She had watched Bonnie and Matt give sweet looks to each other at the table. Damon and Elena had held hands at the table. Jenna and Alaric were getting married! Her and Stefan were the only ones at the table who didn't have someone with them. But he had Rebekah. She might not be there with them tonight, but he would at least get to see her when she came back from vacation. Caroline wouldn't get to see Klaus.

As the four were cleaning up in the kitchen, they heard a sudden, loud string of expletives come from the stairwell. Elena rushed out of the kitchen once they figured out it was coming from Damon. Stefan, Alaric and Jenna had been sitting in the living room talking, but they too were standing up, wondering what in the hell was wrong. Damon walked straight to Caroline, which almost made her cringe back in fear. Had she done something?

"This photo! Is this the cause of all your turmoil these past weeks?"

She saw that it was the one of Vicki and Klaus kissing each other. She bit her lower lip and looked at the floor, not wanting to see it anymore.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Who gave it to you?" Damon was seething for some reason, but she still didn't understand why.

"Tyler. He gave it to me to show who Vicki was cheating on him with."

"Well, don't you find it a bit odd that after all that heartache he gave you, he is back with Vicki so soon?"

"I…I guess. I never thought about it. Tyler is an idiot. I thought she said a few charming things and he gave in to her."

"Caroline, think about this. Who do they both hang out with?"

"Um…" She looked shyly over at Stefan.

"Not including my brother."

"Rebekah, Mason and Jules."

"And who out of those three, probably dislikes you the most?"

"What are you getting at, Damon?" Stefan was walking closer to his brother, not understanding what he was trying to say. Quite frankly, she didn't either.

"I want her to figure this out, Stefan. Caroline?"

"I don't know. I guess Rebekah since I was with Klaus. She's the only one I had any kind of connection to."

"So…did you ever think that night at the party was a set-up?"

"Maybe, but the picture-"

"Look at it."

"I have, Damon!"

"No! Look closely, Caroline. Does the picture not seem off to you?"

Caroline took a closer look at the picture. She still didn't…wait. Her brows furrowed as she focused on the kissing couple.

"Do you mean…"

"Yes. The picture is a fake. I went into the guest bedroom to tidy up and found it. Upon closer inspection, I saw that someone edited it to make it look like Klaus and Vicki were kissing. Klaus was _never_ with Vicki. I also have every reason to believe that that little bitch was behind it." He gave a pointed look to Stefan, daring him to challenge his theory. Stefan looked ashamed though.

"Caroline…I'm so sorry," Stefan said softly. He closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face.

Caroline stared at the picture forever. It was true…the place where Vicki's hand touched his cheek looked a little distorted. A person could only spot it if they looked very closely. She passed the picture to her friends so that they could see. Everything kind of hit her at once then.

"Oh god…oh god, oh god, oh god…Klaus wasn't with her! He thinks I hate him! Oh no no no no no no!" Caroline gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. Bonnie and Elena were at her side quickly. The look on his face…this was the reason he looked so hurt that night. To him, she had just kissed Tyler for no reason. He thought she had cheated on _him_.

"Stefan, I'm gonna kill that Barbie doll girlfriend of yours! I've been waiting to for a long time." Damon got the photo back and ripped it into tiny pieces.

"When she gets back from vacation…she won't be my girlfriend." Stefan spoke quietly, still embarrassed by the fact that his girlfriend…well, now ex-girlfriend…had caused all of this.

What had Caroline ever done to Rebekah to make her want to cause so much pain to Caroline? And to Klaus! She was his brother! What kind of sick and twisted person thought that this was ok? Caroline's temper suddenly sky-rocketed. How _dare_ she cause so much heartache?

"Stefan…" Caroline had a determined expression on her face now, "I'm going to need your help. When Rebekah gets back into town, I plan on having a word with her. I want answers. And after that…I plan on getting my man back."


	12. Going Down Fighting

_ December 23 _

Stefan had informed Caroline that today was the day that the Mikaelson family would be coming back from vacation. She had been ready for this day ever since finding out that the picture that had ruined her relationship with Klaus was fake. Caroline strutted down the hallway to the lunchroom with absolute confidence. Today was the day that she was going to get some answers from Rebekah.

She walked into the lunchroom, making a beeline to her table. Her face was set into a determined expression. Everything would hopefully go according to her plan. The plan she had been thinking of nonstop since Thanksgiving. Have Stefan text Rebekah and tell her to meet him in a secluded place, then, get answers. Simple enough plan. Caroline wasn't a weak little girl like when she and Tyler had ended. No, she was fixing this and _now_.

"Have you text her?" She spoke directly to Stefan. All of her friends knew what was going to happen today. They were the only ones who knew too. The less people informed, the better. Word got out fast and Caroline had no intentions of making a scene.

"Yup. She should be in the room now. No one should bother you guys there. It's where we used to go when we wanted privacy."

"Perfect. Thank you, Stefan." She smiled, nodding a goodbye to her friends before walking back out of the cafeteria, her destination clear.

The hallways were so quiet during this time, which hopefully meant that all the teachers were as preoccupied as the students. Her mouth was set in a thin line, her eyebrows scrunched together. She did her best not to let her anger get the better of her. Her attempt was failing miserably.

Caroline walked up the stairs and continued down the silent hallway. When she approached the room at the end of the corridor, she burst in without bothering to knock. It was the room Stefan had told her Rebekah would be in. And sure enough…she stood at the front of the room, her legs crossed and leaning against the empty teacher's desk.

Rebekah's face looked surprised for only a few seconds before becoming composed again. Her arms folded slowly in a defensive position, her lips tightly shut.

"Caroline."

"Rebekah," Caroline spoke coldly. She locked the door behind her before walking slowly to a desk and sitting on top of it, her feet on the chair that belonged to it. Her hands clasped together as she tilted her head to the side only an inch, trying to find the right words to say that wouldn't make her scream at the girl in front of her with absolute rage. Nothing seemed to come to mind.

"I was expecting Stefan."

"He couldn't make it," Caroline replied bitterly.

"Shame. I missed him over vacation."

"He didn't miss you."

"I figured as much. We were always rocky to begin with. It was going to happen sooner or later."

"There's a surprise," Caroline said sarcastically.

"We both know why you're here instead of Stefan. So just get on with it already." Rebekah looked tired. She had propped herself on top of the teachers desk, her legs still crossed and her arms still folded.

Caroline nodded, standing up from her desk. She strode over to where Rebekah sat, and slapped the bitch across the face as hard as she could. Her breathing came in short bursts, her anger getting the better of her finally. Rebekah just felt her cheek lightly with her hand. Caroline took her other hand and brought it to the girl's other cheek with as much force as she could muster.

And then all hell broke loose.

Rebekah jumped Caroline and both girls fell back on the floor, somehow missing the desks in the process. Rebekah straddled Caroline as she attempted to pull Caroline's hair out. Caroline squeaked but quickly pushed Rebekah off so that she would be the one straddling her. Instead of the girly hair pulling, Caroline went swinging. She got a couple of punches in before Rebekah's hand came up and scratched Caroline's cheek, drawing blood as she did. It gave Rebekah enough time to push Caroline off and stagger over to the teacher's desk. Caroline got up and was about to swing another punch at her, but Rebekah was quick and turned around in time to catch her wrist. She pushed Caroline back into the wall, attempting to knee Caroline in the stomach. She did end up taking one to the stomach before she was able to place her foot on the other blonde's stomach and push with all her strength. Rebekah fell backward over the teacher's chair and landed on her back. Caroline took the opportunity to jump on Rebekah, pinning her arms down to the ground.

"Tell me why you set Klaus up!"

"It was to set _you_ up! He was supposed to catch you kissing Tyler and not want to see your face again."

"Well, job accomplished! I want to know why you did it though. What have I ever done to you?"

Both girls were breathing hard; trying to get what air they could before the other decided to strike again. Rebekah sat still, however, and began to explain.

"I wanted Klaus to get out of town."

"How does that deal with me?"

"I thought you would have kept him here."

"How? Why?"

Rebekah took another deep breath.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of you two at first. All the attention he gave you. It irritated me. Especially since Klaus hasn't been in a serious relationship before. That bitch, Tatia, at the beginning of summer was a poor excuse for a girlfriend. I thought you would be just like her. I thought he was ignoring me for a girl who would end up leaving him anyway."

"Dear lord, get _over_ yourself! You had Stefan giving you attention."

"Stefan is…was…my boyfriend. Klaus is my brother. It's different."

"Whatever. Just get on with it."

"I realized that you two were getting serious…very serious. It may only be the beginning of the school year, but Klaus is a long-term boyfriend. He would have staid with you for the rest of the year unless something bad happened. Something _very_ bad…like you kissing an ex that just so happens to be his worst enemy. So I enlisted help to create a set up. I wanted it to end before he got too far in. I wanted him out of this place."

Caroline saw a tear roll down the side of Rebekah's face.

"I was too late, however. He's already in too deep. I…I was wrong though." Rebekah bit her lip.

"Wrong how?"

"He let slip that you had plans of going to New York after graduation. Is that true?"

"Why does it-"

"Please…is it true?"

"Yes."

Rebekah looked at her with determination. "If you guys last until then…please take him with you. Persuade him to go with you."

"If you haven't noticed…we're kind of not together _now_. And why should I take him with me? He can do whatever the hell he wants."

"It's not my place to tell you. Just please…think about it?"

"Even if I wanted to, your plan _worked_. He doesn't want to see me again you dumb bitch." Caroline was getting angry again. Was she that stupid? Worked like hell to get her and Klaus to break up and now she wanted them together?

"That's not true."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he wanted you back the night of the party."

Caroline sat up a little and rubbed her hands over her face. She got off of Rebekah and sat against the wall, Rebekah taking a seat beside her. Her head hurt, along with other body parts of hers.

"Not that it's any of your business…but I plan on finding him later. I want him back too."

"He's at home. He didn't want to go to school today. You'll find him there."

"How do I know you won't try and break us up again? Huh? I can't get back with him just to deal with this shit all over again."

"I'll stay out of it this time, Caroline. I had no idea you meant so much to him. I thought you were just another girl. I didn't know you were _the_ girl."

Both girls were silent for a while. Caroline felt her cheek where Rebekah had scratched her. It hurt a little, but nothing that wouldn't heal.

"I don't forgive you for what you did. You have a long way to go before you're in my good graces, Rebekah. I don't trust you…but that doesn't mean I won't try to be with Klaus again."

"I know. To both things."

The two girls looked at each other. Caroline wasn't sure what she was looking for in Rebekah's face. As far as she could tell, the girl was being honest. But that didn't make Caroline hate her any less. She really did have a long way to go before Caroline could trust her, much less want to even talk to her. They had a long way to go before friendship would even be possible between them…if ever.

Out of nowhere Caroline's phone began going off, along with Rebekah's phone. The two of them heard the buzzing and the ringing, and looked at each other in confusion. Both phones were going crazy with incoming text messages. Before the girls could get up and grab their phones, someone began knocking on the door to the classroom repeatedly. Caroline's heart dropped to her stomach as she thought a teacher had heard their tussle and came up to investigate. When the two stood up, they could see Stefan through the glass on the door. Caroline gave a sigh of relief as she walked quickly over to unlock the door, but worry soon took over again as she realized he looked absolutely distressed. He gave the two of them a once over as they stood staring at him. He shook his head as if whatever he was thinking wasn't important right now.

"We have a problem."

"What's wrong, Stefan?" Caroline asked, concern evident in her voice.

"It's Klaus. He's outside of the school…Caroline…he's a mess. He looks worse than the both of you combined…a lot worse in fact. He was just walking toward the school with a dazed look in his eyes and then all of a sudden he collapsed on the ground! Guys, we have to get out there… _now_!"

Stefan ran from the room, Caroline and Rebekah running closely behind him. The three of them skipped steps on the stairwell, going as fast as their legs would take them. The three arrived outside to see a large crowd had gathered by a grassy area. She spotted Damon, Matt, and a few teachers keeping students back from the center of the crowd, the place all the students were trying to get a look at. Stefan pushed people aside as he tried to get the three of them through the throng of people. Caroline's heart raced as she moved through everyone, much slower than she would have liked.

In the middle was the worst possible scene she could have come across. Klaus was lying on his side, his black jacket draped over him like a blanket. Bruises trailed up his arms and went under his light gray t-shirt that had red spots scattered across it. His dark blue jeans had torn in some places, revealing small cuts, some healed and some fresh. Elena and Bonnie were sitting on the grass, facing the side that Klaus could see. His back was to Caroline, so she couldn't see his face…a part of her wasn't sure she wanted to.

"An ambulance is on the way. He hasn't said a thing about who did this to him. Not like he can really talk though…" Stefan bit his lip, looking in the direction opposite Klaus. It obviously made Stefan sick to his stomach to even think about who would do something like this. Honestly, Caroline didn't blame him…she wasn't so sure she wouldn't be sick yet.

"Thanks for getting us, Stefan." Caroline patted his shoulder before heading over to where Klaus was lying. Bonnie and Elena spotted her and looked relieved to see their friend. She bent down by Klaus's head, checking out the damage that had been done to his face. It was horrid. He was decorated with one massive black eye and scratches ten times worse than Caroline's. A busted lip and probably a broken nose adorned his face as well. His eyes were closed currently. She scanned the rest of his body, noticing his shirt was slightly ripped in some places, kind of like his jeans, and those rips also revealed a variety of bruises and cuts.

Caroline moved to carefully place his head on her legs, giving him some kind of support. He stirred a little, moving his hand to grip her left wrist. He slid down from there to her fingers, holding them gently with his right hand. She stroked his hair with her free hand, tears rolling softly down her cheek.

"Hey Klaus…I'm here Hun…I'm here. Just stay with me, ok?" she spoke quietly. He squeezed her hand in response.

The loud siren of an ambulance rang through the air as it came rushing into the school parking lot. Elena and Bonnie looked to Caroline before slowly getting up.

"We'll meet you at the hospital, Care." They both came over to give her a quick hug from behind before gathering the boys and heading to the car. Caroline's gaze then stopped at Rebekah.

"Go with him in the ambulance. I'll meet you at the hospital." She too got up slowly, probably sore from her fight with Caroline, before walking into the crowd of people and disappearing. Caroline turned back to Klaus.

"Everything's going to be alright, Klaus. You're going to be alright."

* * *

Hospitals gave Caroline the creeps. The place was reeking with death and the white walls made her want to go crazy.

Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, Stefan, Damon, Matt, and Rebekah all sat in the waiting room, hoping for some kind of good news from the nurses. It had been at least an hour since Caroline and Klaus had arrived at the hospital in the ambulance. She had gone straight to the waiting room after they rolled him off to a room.

Finally, as the woman heard her thoughts, the nurse came from the hallway, clipboard in hand. The entire group in the waiting room stood up and rushed over to the woman, waiting expectantly for answers.

"Your friend is going to be just find," the nurse said happily, but the small smile she had quickly turned into a frown.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked worriedly.

"He's talking again, but he hasn't told us who did this to him. The police can't find the assaulter if he doesn't tell them who to look for. By the expression on his face, he remembers quite clearly who dealt the damage. Maybe one of you guys could talk to him? He's sleeping right now, but you can still go and see him. One at a time though." The nurse smiled one last time before walking off.

"This sucks. We should be allowed to pulverize whoever did this to him," said Matt.

"If Klaus doesn't want to tell us, then we can't do anything," Elena said sadly.

Caroline was silent for a minute before she felt herself being dragged off by a strong force, one that happened to be Rebekah. The two girls had been tended to upon arrival at the hospital, but that didn't mean her arm didn't hurt.

"Ow!"

"Sorry."

"What are you doing?"

"We need to talk. In private."

"About what?"

"Klaus," Rebekah looked around to make sure they were in a safe spot before looking at Caroline with watery eyes, "I know who did this to him. If he won't tell you who, then I will."

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. "Who did this?"

"Caroline, it was our father. Mikael did this to him." Rebekah began sobbing, the tears streaming steadily down her face.

"What?"

"He told me he never told you about his home life…but you need to know now. I don't know what happened today, but father beats him Caroline. He's a drunken bastard who gets his kicks from beating on my brother. Klaus has even taken beatings for _us_ sometimes. Mikael has threatened to kick him out before for various reasons, but he'd never do it. Nik would enjoy that too much and Mikael wouldn't have his entertainment anymore. Our mother just watches…she won't do anything. I don't know what to do, Caroline. He's never beaten Nik this badly before."

Caroline stood open mouthed, tears silently running down her own face now. She placed her hands on Rebekah's shoulders.

"I'll talk to him. We'll figure something out."

She gave a reassuring smile before walking quickly down the hall, passing her friends without a word and going straight to Klaus's room. Inside, the steady beeping of the heart monitor actually gave her a little relief. It meant he was still living.

Caroline pulled up a chair to Klaus's bedside and sat down, taking his hand gently in hers and stroking it with her thumb.

"Hey, baby. You know you scared me today, right? I thought I had lost you there. You looked so…so broken lying on the ground like that. I hope you know we have a lot to talk about too. I know you didn't cheat on me. That's the reason I had kissed Tyler, because I thought you had cheated on me with Vicki. Turns out it was an ugly set up. If I told you who did it, you probably wouldn't believe me. The kiss between Tyler and I though…it was just a moment of weakness. He told me Vicki had cheated on him too and I just felt really bad. It was wrong, I know, but I swear I don't have any feelings for him. This entire time we've been apart," Caroline sniffed, tears welling in her eyes again, "this entire time I've thought about you nonstop. I was going to go to your house today and talk to you. I thought after you saw me with Tyler you might not want to, but I was going to try. Then…then Stefan told me you had collapsed at school and I got so scared! I saw you on the ground and I thought I'd lost you!"

Caroline couldn't stop the rush of tears and the aching pain in the back of her throat. She pressed her cheek to his hand as she continued to hold it.

"I love you, Klaus," she said softly.

Beneath her, she could feel his hand move slightly. She looked up at him to see a small smile on his lips, an affectionate look in his eyes. His hand caressed her cheek before he very carefully moved over on his bed, patting the spot next to him. She sniffed, smiling as she slowly crawled in beside him. Klaus's arm went around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. She placed a hand gently on his chest and nuzzled into his neck.

"I love you too, Caroline," he said, his voice raspy. She smiled and shushed him.

"I know you do, but you need to rest your voice. We can talk later." She smiled, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Klaus tried to deepen it, but pulled away quickly from the pain of his busted lip.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I forgot, I'm so sorry."

"It was worth it." Klaus smiled, putting his cheek against her forehead when she returned to her original position. She had a lot to discuss with him, but for now, they could just enjoy each others company after being without it for so long.


	13. Time for Change

_ December 24 _

The day after all the fighting happened, the gang was gathered in Klaus's hospital room, enjoying their Christmas Eve together. It was six o'clock in the evening and they had all agreed to have a small celebration here, since for some of them, this would be the only family time they could have. They had rolled a small table into the room to hold cookies, punch, eggnog, cakes, popcorn, and other Christmas goodies. The nurses had been nice enough to allow them to have this small party in the room.

The gang was also lucky that Klaus had gotten a room to himself. They would have disturbed anyone else with their antics. Caroline was currently curled up to Klaus on the hospital bed, watching a Christmas special on T.V. Elena and Bonnie were snug on the small couch that was in the room. Stefan was sitting on a chair with his feet propped up on the end table he had moved from beside Klaus's bed. Damon was sitting on the floor by Elena, his body leaning on the cushions of the couch while his head tried to avoid the wooden armrests. Matt was on the floor opposite Damon, so that he was sitting by Bonnie. A plate piled high with cookies sat in his lap while he watched T.V.

"This movie is so overplayed around this time of year," Bonnie stated, her voice slightly agitated.

"It's a good movie though!" Damon argued.

"Still, they couldn't put something else on once in a while?"

"They do. Stop being a Grinch and just enjoy the movie."

"You know, 'the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear'," Matt quoted from the movie, taking a bite of his sugar cookie afterward with a huge grin on his face.

"I'm not a Grinch! I love Christmas…and please don't start singing, Matt."

"Because that didn't sound Grinch like at _all_ ," Stefan replied sarcastically.

"Shh! This is where he starts to redecorate Gimbels before the fake Santa arrives," Elena reprimanded, putting a finger to her lips.

"That reminds me…this room could look a little more merry," Damon said. Klaus's room was already decorated a little for the holiday. A small tree had been on the end table that Stefan's feet were now on, so it had been moved to the table with all the food. A wreath hung on the wall over his bed and lights were just outside the window, brightening the darkened sky up.

"Well brother, do you suggest we get a bunch of Lite-Brites and Legos and go to work on the place?"

"Quit being so bitter. There are other ways to decorate," Damon said as he got up from where he was sitting.

"Where are you going?" Stefan questioned from his seat.

"To ask these nice nurses if they have anything else to decorate the room with. My fingers are itching to hang something up, even if it's just a small item."

"I'll go with you. Otherwise you'll never find anything."

The two silently left the room, only to return fifteen minutes later with a handful of candy canes. When everyone looked at them with expected expressions, Damon smiled sheepishly.

"They thought it was cute that I was trying. Since they didn't have anything to decorate with, they just gave us enough candy canes for everyone to have some."

The entire room chuckled as Damon tossed everyone a candy cane. Caroline looked around at her small family. This would have been better if it wasn't being celebrated in a hospital room, but this was definitely a Christmas Eve for the books. Everything just felt…right.

Well…except the fact that Klaus wasn't talking about his father. He still didn't know Rebekah had told her about who did this. A part of her reasoning was that she wanted to hear Klaus's side before she said anything about what Rebekah had spoken with her about. He had remained tight lipped about it all of yesterday and today. Caroline didn't want to ruin the holiday spirit by bringing up such a depressing topic, but they had to discuss it at some point. She wasn't about to let this man get away with beating his child.

* * *

A couple hours had passed and it was time for the others to go home. Elena had promised Jenna she would still be home for all the Christmas like activities she wanted to do. Jeremy was bringing Anna so Damon would be leaving with her as well. An unexpected surprise was both of them taking Stefan along. Since him and Rebekah had broken up, it only seemed logical though that he would go with them. He couldn't just be alone for Christmas Eve.

Bonnie was going home to be with her Grams and Matt was tagging along. He didn't have anyone at home either. It wasn't something he liked to discuss a lot, so none of his friends ever pushed him on the subject. Caroline only appreciated his good mood more for it, knowing it must be difficult to keep a smiling face during hard times.

After everyone had gone, this left Caroline and Klaus to be alone. Caroline's situation was the same, as always. So her holidays would have been spent alone had it not been for Klaus. The movie currently playing was A Year Without A Santa Claus and she was happy that as the night went on, more of the classics were playing. It reminded Caroline of her childhood. They had moved Klaus's end table back to his bedside, so she had a plate of cookies and some punch even.

"I wish we were at my house right now. Probably more comfortable than this bed," Caroline mused.

"Are you suggesting a prison break?" Klaus asked, his voice still gravelly. She kind of found it sexy to hear his voice like that. He needed to heal though, so her personal desire for him to keep that sexy sounding voice would have to wait. She really shouldn't be complaining anyway. His voice already had that unforgettable accent.

"No! The thought is tempting, but you need to heal completely before I take you anywhere," Caroline chided.

"You know," he drawled, his fingers sliding up her sides, "you could take me places…without actually having to leave this bed."

She shivered at his sultry tone. He wasn't helping her horny side. Then again, that was his plan. His all-knowing smirk told her he knew exactly what he was doing to her too.

"You are in no shape to be going _anywhere_. We both know you wouldn't be able to keep up in your current condition," She teased.

"Oh," he clicked his tongue at her, "that was hurtful, love."

"It's tough love."

They both smiled, but before he could reply, there was a knock at the door. They both furrowed their brows, sharing a confused look. She slowly got off the bed, making sure to avoid contact with any of his wounds. Upon opening the door, a tall man stood in front of her, with a familiar looking little boy.

"Hi, Caroline!" The little boy squeaked, quickly hugging her waist out of excitement.

"Well hey Kol!" She said, bending down to hug him back properly. The older man looked down on them with a small smile on his face. Caroline realized that she recognized him from school last year.

"Elijah, right?"

"Indeed. Pleasure to finally meet you, Caroline. Klaus has told me a lot about you."

"I'm flattered." Elijah seemed more formal than she remembered, but she liked it.

The two boys walked into the room, bringing a sincere smile to Klaus's face. Caroline sat down on the edge of the bed while the two boys took a seat on the couch.

"Are you ok, Klaus? You look all cut up," Kol observed from his seat.

"I'll be just fine buddy, don't you worry." Klaus gave him a wink to reassure his statement.

"Kol, could you go outside with your sister for a moment? I need to speak with Klaus alone for a bit," Elijah asked.

"But I don't wanna!"

"It won't take too long, I promise. Then we can go back home and watch Christmas movies."

"I want to be with Klaus though," Kol complained, stomping out of the hospital room.

"Rebekah is here?" Klaus asked his brother.

"Yes, but I thought it best she stay outside. She told me everything on our way here." Elijah gave Caroline a pointed look. It made her stiffen just a little. It wasn't threatening, but it let her know that he really did know _everything_.

"What did she tell you exactly?" Klaus asked, looking between her and Elijah.

"She told me why you're in this hospital bed and why the cops aren't doing anything to stop who was behind this. She also told me why you and Caroline here would probably be together, when I thought you two had split up. Rebekah even told me why you split up in the first place. I told her since she was the cause of it, she should probably stay clear of you until I knew for sure how you were doing."

"Wait, wait, wait…what?" Klaus was utterly confused. This is why Caroline had wanted to talk to him sooner. Looked as if they were going to talk about it now. Elijah looked at Caroline, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"You didn't tell him?"

"Tell me what, Caroline?" Klaus asked, his eyes studying her intently.

Caroline let out a heavy sigh. Where was she supposed to start? How was he going to react to any of this, especially in his condition?

"Rebekah was the one who set us up, Klaus. She made the picture and she knew I would kiss Tyler at my low point, with the right amount of pushing from Tyler. Rebekah wanted you to see me kissing him and get so mad at me we would never talk again. I didn't want to bring it up on Christmas Eve, but that's what happened."

The heart monitor suddenly went crazy as the beeping became incessant. Caroline saw Klaus's face, and wasn't sure if she had ever seen him that angry before. The room was quiet as they waited or him to regain some composure. The beeping went back to its regular rhythm finally, and Elijah spoke first.

"She wishes for me to inform you that she is sorry, and hopes for forgiveness. She thought she had your best interest at heart. Rebekah just wanted to see you leave town and get away from our family."

Klaus's face still held rage in it, so when his eyes met Caroline's, she almost backed up out of fear. Elijah spoke before Klaus had the chance to.

"Rebekah tells me she informed Caroline of our family's…history as well."

As if answering Klaus's unspoken question, Klaus turned away, his mouth still set in a tight line.

"That brings me to my next question, Klaus. You have to tell someone. You know that, right? The police can't do anything until you tell them."

The room was silent for a while. Caroline looked down at her hands, not sure what to say. When she looked up, Klaus was looking out the window, a tear running down his cheek.

"You know what will happen if I do, Elijah."

"You know I can provide a safe place for everyone. Besides, Mikael will go to jail for what he has done. He won't be able to harm you there."

"How do you know that? How can you be certain that we'll be…Caroline, what's wrong?" Klaus looked at her with concern in his eyes. It was enough to make Caroline chuckle almost. She wiped away the traitor tear. It's like Klaus had been in his own little world until he thought something was wrong with his girl. It made Caroline feel loved.

"Klaus…you have to tell. My mom is a cop, she could help!"

"But Caroline…"

"No! No buts. I can't see you like this again, Klaus! I-I just can't!"

The room filled with silence once more. Klaus continued to look at her in astonishment. He couldn't be that surprised she would say that. She just admitted that she loved him yesterday. Did he think she was bluffing? Elijah was the one to break the long silence.

"So brother…what is it going to be?"

It took Klaus a moment to face Elijah, but his expression was set with certainty. Whatever his decision, it would be final. Caroline found that she was holding her breath in anticipation. She would make sure her mom brought justice to this. If Klaus even wanted it that was. He turned from Elijah to face Caroline. His expression softened at the sight of her.

"I'll do it," he said firmly, "but not until after the holidays. I actually want to be able to enjoy them this year."

"Sooner would be better, but I won't complain. I'm happy to hear you say that at all brother. I shall leave you and your lady alone. I'll be back with Kol tomorrow bearing gifts."

At Klaus's shocked looked, he continued "You didn't think we would forget presents, now did you?"

With a wink and a slight bow to Caroline, Elijah stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Caroline and Klaus to themselves once more.

She risked a glance at Klaus. He was looking out the window again, shaking slightly. She wasn't sure if it was from anger or from fear, but it made her crawl back to her spot beside him. His head found a place on her shoulder, allowing her to stroke his hair.

"It's going to be alright," Caroline assured him.

"Nobody knows for sure that it will be," he kept trembling in her arms, and Caroline knew that the shaking was definitely from fear. The man was positively frightened.

"Then I'll make sure it is. I'll keep you safe," she said with a determined tone.

Klaus chuckled at her feisty attitude, his shaking finally coming to a complete stop. He wrapped an arm around her waist and closed his eyes. Caroline continued to pet his head as her attention went back to the movie on T.V. She was ready for all of this to be over. All she wanted was for things to be set straight again.

A sudden thought popped into her head as she was rethinking the night's discussion.

"Klaus?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened yesterday? If you think you can tell it. It's just…you were _really_ beaten up."

She could hear Klaus let out a heavy sigh. He didn't move from his position beside her, he just tightened his grip around her waist a little.

"I had decided to stay home yesterday. I wasn't ready to be back and…well, see your face again. I hated going to school as it was. Without you, it didn't feel like I had a reason to be there anymore."

"But…"

"Yes, I know. I needed to go for my education and blah blah blah. I know, love. That wasn't enough of a reason to keep me going though. So I staid home yesterday. Mikael…boy was he in a fine mood too. Of all days, it had to be one where I staid home. He was drunk, and not to mention his mind seems to be getting worse. I wonder sometimes if he isn't certifiable. Whether he would get a jail sentence or time in the asylum. Anyway, I was in the kitchen preparing some food when he decided to stagger in…

" _Well, if it isn't Betty Crocker. Tell me boy, is this why you have women falling all over you?" Mikael slurred sarcastically._

_Klaus looked up from the vegetables he was cutting. His temper was beginning to rise, but that was what Mikael wanted. So he did his best to ignore him, simply shaking off his comment and talking to him like he would anyone else._

" _No, sir. Women usually like when a man can cook."_

" _Not from my experience. Women need a strong man. A man who can protect her from creatures that go bump in the night. Can you protect a woman, Niklaus?"_

" _Of course I can."_

" _Is that so? Then why did that pretty little blond girl dump you like yesterday's trash?"_

_A weak spot for him, and Mikael knew it. Caroline had been the one kissing Tyler, and he still didn't know why, but that didn't make him love her any less. He finally faced his father._

" _You have no right to talk about her."_

" _I don't? Well that's funny…I thought I did. She isn't actually yours anymore. What happened, boy? Were you unable to satisfy her?"_

" _That's none of your business, and I refuse to talk about Caroline as such. She wasn't just some sex fling." Mikael had no right to know that him and Caroline had never actually been to bed in that way before. Sure, they had slept in the same bed together…but never had they had sex._

" _That was it, wasn't it?" Mikael chuckled, amused at his own ramblings, "You weren't able to satiate her hunger. You couldn't fuck her properly. It's probably better this way though. She can go out and find a real man now. Hell, if that little number came up to me…I'd show her how a woman was to be pleasured the right way. I could show her things you couldn't even think of boy."_

" _Shut up!" Klaus yelled, shaking violently with anger._

_Mikael's hand slapped his face so hard and fast that Klaus wouldn't have been sure he had, if he couldn't feel the stinging sensation on his cheek that is._

" _You watch your mouth when you speak to me!"_

_Mikael went to punch him, but Klaus fought back this time, grabbing his wrists and holding him back. He wouldn't just sit there and take his beatings._

" _No! You don't deserve my respect! Or anyone else's respect! You're scum! You are nothing but a coward and I will never consider you my father. The only reason we're even connected is because your blood unfortunately runs through my veins. I will not let you bully me anymore and I will NOT let you talk about Caroline that way. Ever!"_

_Mikael was enraged now. His hand met Klaus's nose and then his other went for him, catching his lip and busting it open. Klaus tried to fight back, but Mikael was numb from the alcohol and wasn't fazed by him. Mikael proceeded to give the boy a nasty black eye and then, he pinned Klaus on the wall and grabbed the knife on the counter…_

"…After he finished, I ran away as fast as I was able to. I didn't really know where I was going; I just knew I needed to get away. Before I could recognize my surroundings, I felt this weird sensation and the world was spinning. And then…it all went black. Now and again I would hear voices when I was in and out of consciousness. I remember hearing Stefan's voice, I remember one of the teachers talking to the phone operator, and I remember you. I was afraid I was dreaming when I heard your voice, but then I felt you lift my head. I saw the grass, Elena, Bonnie, and this tiny hand, even though it was all blurry. I reached for you and felt that you were solid, real. It vaguely registered in my head that I was on the school grounds, but I wasn't sure. My head was a mess and everything hurt. One minute I was holding your hand, and the next I was in here, listening to you talk to me."

Caroline heard his breath shake as he exhaled. She let out a breath of her own that she hadn't realized she was holding in. Mikael was a monster, and nothing less. She wrapped her arms tighter around Klaus, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It's not your fault. Don't ever think that this was your fault. He did this because I stood up to him. Not because it had anything to do with you."

"Those things he said though…"

"I will never let him touch you. I'd kill him if he ever did." His voice was low, and very serious. Caroline didn't want to think of what Klaus would be capable of doing to this man who had ruined his life.

"I know you wouldn't. I feel safe with you." She smiled, continuing to run her fingers through his hair. Caroline knew he always liked the feeling and that it relaxed him. His breathing quickly evened out and she knew he was asleep. She giggled to herself as she watched the Christmas movie. What she wouldn't give to know he would be able to sleep soundly for the rest of his life. His memories would never just disappear, but sending Mikael to jail would at least be a start.

* * *

Rebekah sat out in the hall, listening to the cheerful Christmas music play. She didn't feel so cheerful though. Elijah and Kol had left not too long ago. Rebekah had wanted to stay behind just a while longer. Elijah had told her how mad Klaus had been when he heard the news. She was surprised that he didn't know any sooner than now. Still, she couldn't go home. Not after she had seen Klaus. Elijah had offered to let her stay with him, but it didn't feel right. Not after what she had done.

So here she sat on the floor in the hallway, not sure of where to go or what to do next. The elevator dinged nearby, signaling a newcomer to the floor. Who was entering the hospital this late at night?

Shock spread across her features quickly as she saw Katherine strutting down the hallway, right toward Rebekah. A mischievous grin seemed to be permanently stuck on her face as she stopped in front of the blond girl.

"Well hello, Rebekah."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh now…is that anyway to greet a friend in crime?"

"We are far from friends. Besides, friends wouldn't have charged me such outrageous prices for their services."

She laughed, the fake quality to it obvious. "I like money, what can I say?"

Katherine's heels clicked as she smoothly walked to where Rebekah was sitting, and leaned against the wall beside her.

"I came here to check on you. Your father was worried."

"My father?"

"You aren't the first Mikaelson to ask for my services. And you most certainly won't be the last," she winked, making Rebekah's stomach very uneasy.

"Why do I feel like it's more than just your forgery and Photoshop skills my father was after?"

"Oh, harsh. But true. Apparently your mother isn't very entertaining anymore," she sighed dramatically, as if it were such a shame.

"Watch your tongue."

"What? I'm being honest with you, which is more than he can say. I help with his work. He just likes to mix business with pleasure. Like I said before…I like money. He pays me handsomely."

"You repulse me."

"I repulse a lot of people. Comes with the work. I'll be living the high life though."

"You know what he did to Klaus, right? He could do the same to you. And trust me, he _will_ get bored of you."

"I'm aware of the risks, I'm no idiot. Besides, I like it rough. And sadly, yes, what happened with your brother was unfortunate. It's why I came to check on you."

"Do you even have a heart?"

"I get that question a lot surprisingly. Of course I do. I wouldn't have bothered stopping here if I didn't." Katherine's voice seemed detached, leaving Rebekah to believe the opposite of what she was saying.

"What do you really want, Katherine?"

"Like I said, your father was worried. Apparently you and your mother are the only women he won't harm. He wants to be sure this hasn't discouraged your affections toward him. Niklaus…well, he is far from being in your father's good graces. Mikael wants payback."

"For what? He was the one who beat up Nik! Has he gone off the rails?"

"Possibly. I like my men a little on edge though. I look for a good thrill, you might say. Anyway, I just came to inform you. If your dad wants revenge, I wouldn't get in his way."

"There's nothing for him to get revenge on." Rebekah realized it was probably best to keep the fact that they would be calling the cops on her father soon. Katherine would probably just go and tell him if she did.

"The way he tells it, he wants revenge for the disrespect, the embarrassment of having Klaus for a son, and because he enjoys watching him squirm." Katherine shrugged as if it were just an everyday occurrence that this stuff happened. She was more of a twisted bitch than Rebekah had originally thought.

"Get out of here."

"Oh don't be so dramatic. You should be thanking me. I only came to warn you and be certain you were all right. I like you Rebekah and I'm going to keep you out of harm's way."

Katherine shook her head before gliding down the hallway and back to the elevator. As soon as she was out of earshot, Rebekah got her cell phone out. Elijah needed to know about this.


	14. A Special Christmas Present

_ December 25 _

"I thought it was cute!"

"That card was inappropriate and you know it, love."

Caroline and Klaus were driving to her house to enjoy the rest of their Christmas day. Klaus had been released from the hospital about an hour ago. The doctors had decided that he was in stable condition and it would be safe for him to leave. It was also now three o'clock in the afternoon. The two had decided that he would spend the night with her at her house. Klaus was surprisingly a festive person, and seemed to be looking forward to doing all of the traditional Christmastime activities. Caroline figured it was because he had been deprived of any fun holidays before now.

Elijah and Kol had done as promised and returned with presents for both Klaus and Caroline earlier that morning. This happened to be the topic of their discussion at present. Klaus had gotten a card from Kol that appeared innocent enough on the outside, but when Klaus had opened it, the content had obviously been the doing of Elijah. Kol hadn't even known what was wrong when Klaus shot a glare at Elijah.

"But still…it's the thought that counts," Caroline tried to reason.

"Says the one who got the teddy bear."

Caroline had gotten a decent sized teddy bear from both Elijah and Kol. It was light brown with big eyes and was extremely soft.'

"What can I say? Your brothers have taken a liking to me."

"I believe they have," Klaus said quietly. Even though her eyes were on the road, she could tell he was smiling affectionately at her. It brought a smile to her lips, and the rest of the car ride was left in a comfortable silence between the two.

The silver Infiniti soon pulled into the familiar driveway. Caroline noticed her car was once again the only car there. She repressed a sigh and got out of her car after gathering their presents from the back seat. Klaus slowly got out of the passengers seat, afraid to open any cuts or bruise himself further. Caroline walked around to lend him a shoulder. He put his arm around her gratefully and together they walked to the porch and into the house.

Caroline's house was unfortunately not that decorated. Although, it might have been a blessing in disguise since Klaus really wanted to do Christmas related stuff. She still didn't see how he was supposed to do all of that in his condition. He needed her help to get in the house, but it was mostly just to be cautious. The doctors wouldn't have let him go if he wasn't well enough, she knew that much. So maybe he could decorate the house with her.

"Ok, what are we going to do first?" she asked.

"I can think of a few things," he drawled, putting his arm around her waist and bringing her closer than she already was. It was obvious what he was talking about. His pain wasn't _that_ bad after all it seemed.

"I'm still not sure it would be a great idea. You just got out of the hospital!" She giggled before wiggling herself out of his grip. She walked toward the kitchen, but turned around to look him up and down. "I would hate to be the reason you get put back in," she said seductively, giving him a playful wink.

He gave her a devilish little smirk before walking briskly to her and picking her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. She laughed as he walked over to the counter and sat her down, immediately descending his lips upon her neck. Apparently, when it came to fulfilling his… _needs_ …he was strong enough to do anything, hospital or no hospital. Caroline could tell he was hungry for her, and honestly she felt the same way for him.

For such a long time she had wanted to just jump his bones and have her way with him. Was now the right time to really do that, however? It would make for a nice Christmas present for the both of them, but would it honestly hurt Klaus more? As he nibbled on her ear in the kitchen, she was finding fewer excuses to make. Caroline closed her eyes and relished in the touch of his lips to her skin. His plump lips seemed to burn each spot he kissed. She ran her fingers through his hair as her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing became shallow.

"Klaus…" she moaned, desperate for more of him, but unable to get it in the kitchen. Their little party needed to move elsewhere.

"Already thinking about it."

He helped her off of the counter and together; they hurriedly went up the stairs to her bedroom. Caroline giggled as she closed her door behind her and locked it. Before she was able to turn around completely, Klaus was already moving back to work. He kissed her roughly, desperate to taste more of her. She stopped him before she got completely unwound.

"Wait…Klaus, wait!" She giggled, putting both of her hands on his chest, "I want this to be special. It is Christmas…let me dress up for you or something. I have some lingerie I've been dying to try out," she whispered.

"As delicious as that sounds," Klaus said huskily, his eyes roaming up and down her body as if imagining the lacy material on her, "it would be rather pointless."

"I'll bite. Why?"

"Because it would be on the floor as soon as I could get my hands on it, love."

At that, his mouth took over her lips and one of his arms wrapped around her waist. Her previous thoughts were erased and all she could think about was the hardness of his pants. They fell back on the bed together, Caroline on top of Klaus. She was careful with him, managing to avoid any obvious wounds on his body. His fingers trailed up her sides until they reached her shoulders, where he then took her jacket off at top speed. Next was the blouse. It was a thin material, so all it took was one quick motion from Klaus before the shirt was falling to the floor. Thank god she wore her matching bra and panties, the deep blue ones with black lace around the edges. It made her feel a bit more confident.

Klaus's lust filled eyes looked her over again. She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks as he eyed her with admiration and pride. Caroline let out a small yelp when Klaus rolled them over so that he was now on top of her, straddling her waist. All the manliness was kind of turning Caroline on. She was used to being in charge when it had come to Tyler, but it was nice to be with a man who seemed to know what he wanted. Then again, they had both had time to think about this moment. She was sure each of them had ideas about how this would go.

He was about to pull off her jeans when she stopped him, shaking her finger at him.

"Ah ah ah…my turn," she murmured.

Caroline sat up as far as she could with Klaus on her waist and slowly took his jacket off. Then her hands trailed down his chest to the hem of his shirt. It took no time at all for her to hastily slide the shirt up and throw it across the room. What she hadn't been expecting to see were all of the scars.

Sure, Caroline had known about Mikael for a couple of days now, but the sight still sent chills through her. How many beatings had this poor man taken? How many times had he had to deal with that son of a bitch? Her fingers ran softly over his body, going over each of the scars. Klaus watched her intently, his eyes following her hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His eyes showed disappointment in his appearance. Caroline just gave him a confused look.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I know it's not the body you might have been…imagining."

"You're right…it's better," she said softly. Her hand moved to caress his cheek, a warm smile on her mouth. Klaus never smiled though. His eyes staid glued to Caroline, as if transfixed on something. Before she got to ask what was wrong, he moved slowly down so that his lips were once again on hers. The question was soon forgotten, and Caroline's mind was once again foggy.

The urgency that had originally been felt between their kissing suddenly disappeared. Caroline had seen Klaus in his entirety, and that seemed to have changed something about this encounter of theirs. Underwear was soon discarded and scattered over the bedroom floor as they continued making out passionately under the sheets. Caroline's hair flared out over her pillows as Klaus brushed his lips down her body, taking his time as he did. The sense of euphoria that washed over Caroline was quite the sensation. It was one she hadn't felt in such a long time, if ever. The connection between her and Tyler had never been this strong.

After minutes of well-placed kisses on her more than willing body, it was time for them to take the plunge.

Caroline watched as Klaus asked her silently if she was ready. She nodded and closed her eyes. He tilted her chin up so that she was facing him. Her eyes opened and she could see he had a small smile on his face. Klaus's lips came slowly down to hers.

It had been a while since she had actually had sex with anyone. Tyler had been her last and that was at least a couple of years ago. Caroline knew that being with Klaus right now was something that she wanted to do. However, that didn't help to calm her nerves. What if all of this went horribly wrong? What if the sparks just weren't there after they had done the dirty deed? Yes, she knew she sounded a bit insecure, but what was she supposed to think? She loved Klaus and she wanted this to be right.

He entered her before she had time to think on it anymore. Her worries quickly melted away as the feel of him enveloped her. His motions were slow and very sensual. She could tell he was testing the waters a bit. His lips moved expertly on hers as his body moved in a swift rhythm. His fingers slid slowly into her hair, grasping a handful of it as he carefully sped up. Caroline could feel her body reacting to his movements, but she was afraid she wasn't going to reach her orgasm as fast as Klaus probably would.

As if reading her mind though, Klaus somehow switched up what he was doing. He slowed down and seemed to hit something right on, because her back arched as she bit her lip and let a small moan escape her lips. Caroline felt Klaus smile through their kiss and he continued to do whatever he had managed to accomplish. Slow at first, then speeding up as he had done before, but this time hitting that special spot over and over again. Klaus's mouth worked its way down to her neck, nibbling softly at her collarbone. Her body was moving of its own accord as it bucked up to meet Klaus's hips, begging silently for more. Her arm ran down his back as her other ran through his hair, anticipating the next few minutes.

Klaus continued working on her neck as he sped his movements up. His hips worked overtime as he continued to hit her sensitive spot. Her breath hitched after some repetition of this, and soon her whole world felt rocked. Was she actually seeing stars? She felt a little lightheaded as she tried to catch her breath. Caroline quickly realized her fingers had dug into Klaus's back, and she released her death grip on him immediately. Their eyes met in an intense gaze and her hand went to caress his cheek. Something seemed off…even after that amazing moment. She didn't remember him having a climatic moment the more she thought about it. Caroline tilted her head in confusion. Then she took control. Klaus had managed to please her, now it was her turn to please him.

Caroline sat up enough to make Klaus back up off of her. Then she took his shoulders and turned him around so that he was now underneath her. It was his turn to have the confused expression on his face. She only smiled at him.

"You didn't think I was just going to lay there and not do anything for you, did you?"

"Darling, what on earth are you going to do? If I can't get off after _that_ , then I'm not sure I'm going to tonight," he said, his voice sounding husky. It was such a turn on.

"We'll see about that," she cooed.

His smile lit up the room, one she returned just as brightly. She continued smiling as she worked her way down his waist, placing kisses softly as she did. Caroline saw that he was definitely ready for this; he just needed a little help getting to where she had just gotten. So what if it took him longer to get there? She was more than happy to help. This did feel slightly dirtier than that magical experience the two of them had not two minutes ago, but she wasn't going to let her man take care of this problem by himself.

Caroline gave him a wink before setting to work. Her lips went around him in a smooth motion, working up and down his length. Klaus was more than ready, his hips bucking as hers had done. She laughed at his eagerness, only helping pleasure him more. His fingers stroked her hair as she continued sucking on him. As his body went rigid, she knew he was there. Her lips left his hard on and she used her hand to help him finish completely. He moaned quietly as he released. Caroline crawled up to lay beside him on the bed. Klaus was still breathing hard as she placed her head on his chest and wrapped an arm around his stomach. His fingers continued to stroke her hair as she smiled to herself.

"That was…special," she said quietly.

"It was…I feel like-"

He stopped mid-sentence. She looked at him to see what was wrong, but he was looking off into the distance.

"Caroline?"

"Yea?"

"Are you…"

She couldn't help but laugh at his frightened expression. "Yes. I'm on the pill."

"Oh thank god."

He chuckled and continued stroking her hair, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. Everything suddenly felt as if it were in place. All felt right in the world she guessed. It was a move in the right direction for their relationship.

"Merry Christmas, love."

"Merry Christmas," she gave him a peck on the lips and smiled, "now should we get to all of those holiday traditions you wanted to do?"

"Well, we could make _this_ a tradition."

"We can. Now we can cross it off of our list of traditions to do," she smiled mischievously as she got up to dress. He sighed heavily.

"You're wicked, sweetheart."

"I'm aware. Don't worry though. We can possibly revisit this tradition after we do something else. Preferably something to deal with food…because I'm starving."

Klaus smiled and nodded, getting up and dressing himself as well. Caroline couldn't help but watch and admire the man before her. This was _her_ guy. The man that she was madly in love with was standing before her. He caught her staring at him and stopped dressing after his pants were on. The shirtless Klaus walked over to Caroline and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his forehead to hers. As he was about to go in for a kiss, a noise outside stirred them both out of their moment. Caroline furrowed her brows and went to look out her window. Her eyes widened at the sight. This didn't go unnoticed by Klaus of course.

"What's wrong, Caroline?"

"We may have to hold off on the Christmas decorating for a bit."

"Why?"

"Well…how do you feel about meeting my mom first?"


	15. Meet the Parent

"Quick, get your shirt on! I can't believe she's actually home!"

Caroline scrambled around her bedroom, gathering up any loose articles of clothing and hurriedly putting them on. Klaus just stood there like a statue, needing at least one more prompting from Caroline before putting his shirt on as well. She was astounded at the present circumstances. What was she supposed to do now? The last thing she expected to happen was for her mom to come home! How was she supposed to explain a boy being in her room, when her mom didn't even know a boy was involved with her? Not to mention their Christmas plans were ruined.

She took a few deep breaths before fixing her hair and making sure everything was in its place. Klaus walked over to her and put his arms around her waist from behind. She smiled at him through the mirror and stroked his hands with hers.

"Everything is going to be alright, love. I don't mind meeting your mother."

"Really?" Caroline was taken aback. He was okay with meeting the parent? That was very un-Klaus like.

"Of course. If we're going to be seeing more of each other, then I should probably get this meeting out of the way, don't you think?" He smiled, bringing his mouth down to nibble on her ear playfully. She giggled and swatted him away gently.

"I agree, but this isn't the way to go about it. She shouldn't be meeting my boyfriend as he comes walking down the stairs," she chided.

Klaus nodded reluctantly in agreement. He let go of her waist and paced around the room. Both of them went deep into thought about how to fix the problem. It helped that Klaus was willing to meet her mom, but how were they supposed to get him out of here?

"Caroline! Are you home?" Liz called from downstairs. Caroline ran to her door and unlocked it. She stuck her head out so she could answer her mom.

"Yea mom! Be down in a minute…I'm…I'm on the phone!" Caroline closed her door and turned to face Klaus. An idea had begun to form in her head.

"You. Window. Now." She hurried a flustered and slightly frightened Klaus in the direction of the window. He turned around and managed to stop her shooing.

"Hold on now. What are you doing?"

"The window is the only way for you to get out of this room unseen. I told my mom I was on the phone, so I can go downstairs and tell her it was you I was talking to. I can then tell her that you and I had plans for Christmas and that you had planned on coming over to keep me company because I thought she would be gone all day. That parts not even entirely untrue."

Caroline was quite impressed with herself. The plan seemed as good as they were going to get. Either way, the window really was the only way for Klaus to get out of her room without her mom seeing him. She pushed him toward the window and opened it so that he could climb out. The second story drop was kind of high, but there was some roof under her window. If Klaus climbed out onto that, and then dropped carefully from the ledge, it should be safe enough. He looked back at her and gave her a stern look.

"I'm not even out of the hospital a day and you have me rolling around in bed and climbing out of windows."

"I didn't hear you complaining about the bed part earlier," she said playfully.

"You know what I mean. I suppose I like it when you play rough though." Klaus grinned and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before stepping out onto her roof. She watched as he walked over to the ledge and sat down. Then, he slowly eased himself off until she heard a loud _thump_. Caroline giggled as she closed the window and quickly walked out of her room and down the stairs. Her mother was in the kitchen, wearing her work clothes and looking over a cookbook. She looked up as Caroline walked into the room.

"Hey sweetie. Um, did you hear something just now? I could have sworn there was a big _thud_ somewhere outside?"

"Nope! I didn't hear anything. So what's up? I wasn't expecting you to be home."

"Nice to see you too," Liz teased, "I told everybody that I'd been away long enough and that I should spend some time with you on Christmas at least. Is that alright?"

"Of course! You know I hate that you work so often. It's just…I had already talked to…someone…about coming over and keeping me company. I didn't want to be alone today."

"I see. Well, who is this _someone_ that you invited? Elena? Bonnie?"

"His name is Klaus."

"A boy?"

"Yes a boy. I'm old enough to be seeing boys, mom."

"So you're seeing this boy?"

"I…Oh, mom he's my boyfriend."

"A boyfriend, huh?"

"Yes a boyfriend. He's my boyfriend and…and I'm in love with him."

Liz stopped looking at the cookbook and turned to Caroline. There was a moment of silence before a small smile appeared on her mother's face. She just shook her head and walked over to Caroline, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"I'm sorry."

Caroline hadn't expected that. She tilted her head to the side, an eyebrow raised quizzically. "Why?"

"Because we used to talk about this stuff all the time. Boys, school gossip, and things you're interested in. I've been working so much that I'm out of the loop on your life. So I'm sorry I let it get so bad. I promise to try and cut back on my hours. I don't want you to end up hating me for not being around."

Liz smiled, putting a strand of her daughter's hair out of her face. Caroline couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. She certainly hadn't expected all of that. Had Caroline been too harsh on her mother before this? Had it been that obvious? Perhaps. Caroline put her arms around Liz and gave her a tight hug.

"I know it's been hard without dad around here to help out. I know it's why you work so much. I just miss you."

"I know, Hun, I know. I'm going to try harder to be around more."

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course, Caroline. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too." Caroline felt like a little kid again. When things were perfect and she didn't have a worry in the world. Maybe things were looking up. Well, she still had the Mikael situation to worry about, but once that was taken care of, their lives could be normal again. Things were going to be all right.

Liz pulled away from their hug and smiled, walking back over to the cookbook to look for some recipe. "So tell me about this boy. Is he cute?"

"Mom!" Caroline giggled, happy to finally be able to share news of Klaus with her. Which also reminded her.

"He's actually going to be here soon. I need to talk with you though. It's about him."

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Oh she could have hurt him! She just needed a few more seconds to explain things to her mom. Caroline looked to the door and then to Liz.

"That's him. Mom…is it okay if he spends the night?"

"What?"

"Please, mom? I promise I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. In fact, it's something I need to talk about with you, just not right now. Later?"

Liz looked at her daughter with a raised eyebrow. Caroline knew this was probably all suspicious to her, but she hoped her mother would allow it just this once. She had never asked if another boy could sleep over, not even Tyler. Liz seemed to give in to her daughter's pleas, seeing as her face softened a bit.

"He sleeps on the couch."

"Thank you! I promise, we'll talk later."

Caroline smiled and hurried to the front door. She opened the door to find Klaus leaning an arm against the doorframe, a flower from her bushes in his hand. He handed her the flower and leaned in toward her ear.

"My ass hurts now after that fall. I hope you're happy." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before coming completely inside. She chuckled and closed the door before walking into the kitchen with him. Caroline smiled and waved her hand between Klaus and her mom.

"Mom, this is my boyfriend Klaus. Klaus, this is my mom."

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Forbes."

"Please, call me Liz." She walked over to Klaus and held her hand out. Klaus smiled and took it to shake her hand. Caroline beamed with happiness. Her mom and boyfriend were finally meeting. She hadn't actually thought this would be possible.

"So, mom…what's first on the Christmas to-do list?"

"Well, I was thinking about getting some dinner started. Then I realized I couldn't cook a whole lot. How's pizza sound to you guys?"

Caroline and Klaus chuckled, but nodded their heads in agreement. The both of them were starving after playing around in bed not even an hour ago. Liz didn't have to know that though. Caroline watched as she went over to the phone to place the order. Klaus turned to Caroline and put his arms around her waist, pulling her in close.

"Your mom seems okay with me being here. You made it sound like a big deal."

"I don't know what happened. She just apologized for being gone all the time and promised to be around more so we could talk and I could keep her in the loop on stuff."

"Sounds like things are taking a turn for the better. I'm happy for you, sweetheart."

"Thank you. All I want is for things to be happy for the both of us."

"They will be…eventually." Klaus turned his gaze away from Caroline as he got caught up in his thoughts. She put her hand on his cheek and brought it back, so he was looking at her.

"We need to tell my mom. She can help."

"I just don't want to bring down everyone's spirits. I want to enjoy the holidays with my girlfriend and her mother. I don't want him to ruin that for me."

"He won't ruin anything anymore. We're going to make sure he gets locked up for what he's done to you. To do that, we have to tell my mom though. We have to tell her everything."

There was a long silence between them. Caroline understood why Klaus didn't want to tell her mother yet. The man had been deprived of a good holiday so many times, she was sure that he wanted just one for himself. Liz needed to know what was going on, however. If this was ever going to get resolved, then she had to know. The sooner she knew, the faster something could be done about it too.

"Fine. I don't like it…but fine. Afterward, I want to enjoy this holiday with you though, okay?" Klaus looked at her stubbornly, making sure she understood.

"Okay, that's fine by me."

Caroline grinned, reaching up to kiss Klaus on the lips. They were interrupted by a forceful cough coming from Liz, who had finished ordering their dinner. Caroline blushed and hid her face in Klaus's shirt. She looked backed to her mother, but her expression was more downcast now. Liz seemed puzzled at her daughter's change in demeanor so quickly. Caroline let out a heavy sigh, looking once at Klaus, and then at her mom.

"Can we talk to you?"

* * *

The living room was silent as Caroline's mom took in everything the kids had just told them. Caroline held Klaus's hand tightly as he would explain some events to Liz. Throughout the entire conversation, only one tear fell from her eye. Her mother was very good at keeping her emotions in check. With the kind of job she had, it was almost necessary. Liz slid a hand through her hair, inhaling deeply as she obviously tried to think of something they could do.

"I always thought that man was a bastard. I just never knew how much of one he was," Liz shook her head before continuing, "If we have Klaus's testament, we should be able to do something fairly soon. If the other children are willing to as well, we could use a statement from them. Saying that they've either been a victim to or have witnessed Mikael's violent behavior. I can move this to top priority at the station so that action is taken quickly. I need to report this immediately though. If you guys don't mind getting the pizza and-"

"No! I'm sorry Ms. Forbes…I mean Liz…but I don't want this to ruin everyone's holidays. I promised Caroline we would tell you, but please… _please_ don't say anything until at least tomorrow."

Liz looked at Klaus with concern apparent in her features. Caroline could see that her mom wanted to tell someone as soon as possible, just like everyone else wanted to. Caroline gave a small nod to Liz, silently asking her to do as Klaus wished. Liz picked up on it, and nodded reluctantly.

"Okay. I won't report this until tomorrow. For the record, however…you two didn't tell me until tomorrow. Klaus, you're welcome to stay here until Mikael is taken in. Unless there is someone else that you'd prefer to stay with for the duration of this."

The two kids nodded and Caroline put her head on Klaus's shoulder. They were finally doing something to stop this man from hurting anyone else. The doorbell rang just then and Liz got up to get the pizza. Caroline turned to a relieved looking Klaus.

"You did it! Klaus we're so close to actually doing something about all of this! You'll be able to finish school, graduate…you won't have to worry about him anymore."

"It does sound nice when you put it like that. Hey Caroline?"

"Yea?"

"What if I told you I was considering the possibility of going to New York next year? Join an art school perhaps?" Klaus smirked and gave that all-knowing look he had. Caroline's smile could have brightened the whole room. She was about to squeal with excitement when her mom came back into the room carrying the pizza.

"Come and get it you guys. Or I may have to eat it all myself."

Klaus gave Caroline a wide grin before kissing her and leading her by the hand to the kitchen. Could Caroline's holiday get any better? Klaus was thinking about New York with her! This…this was more than she had expected. Her future had been uncertain for a while. With everything going on, she just hadn't had time to think about it. Now that things were moving in the right direction, maybe it was time to start considering her options again.

"Okay, so I'm thinking cookies after this…if you two grown-ups aren't too old for that."

"Personally, I was thinking sugar and gingerbread cookies specifically. I've always wanted to make a gingerbread man, maybe a house even." Klaus said thoughtfully as he took a bite of pizza.

Liz and Caroline went into a fit of laughter, only to be met by a befuddled look from Klaus. Caroline put her head on his shoulder, a smile permanently put on her face it seemed.

"I love you," she whispered.

Klaus's expression changed into one of adoration as he kissed the top of Caroline's head. "I love you too, sweetheart."

The three finished their pizza and cleaned up before switching to activity mode. Caroline found a couple of Santa hats and put one on, handing the other over to Klaus. Liz managed to find some reindeer antlers to put on. The rest of the day was spent baking cookies, decorating the sparse house, and watching Christmas classics on television. By the end of the day, the three were so tuckered out; they all were passed out in the living room by the fireplace. Liz was asleep in one of the armchairs, while Klaus and Caroline were curled up on the floor. For once, there was peace.

* * *

Katherine walked around the large office, listening to the fire roar in the fireplace. She turned the cell phone over in her hands, inspecting it and silencing it every time Rebekah would call. The girl had been persistent, calling all night and day. It was not an easy task getting Elijah's cell phone either, but she had managed to do what Mikael had asked. Nothing was ever simple, but he paid her well. She didn't question anything he wanted.

"Why do you keep that noisy device on? Just turn it off." Mikael took a large swig of his alcohol as he walked over to Katherine and took the phone from her hands. He turned the power off and threw it onto the nearby couch. Mikael grabbed her wrists and brought her close before placing a forceful kiss on her lips. Katherine moaned pleasurably before Mikael finally let go.

"Are you aware of everything you need to do, my dove?"

"Yes. I am aware. Don't worry yourself so much. I can do it. He won't know what hit him."

"Good. I want him to suffer. This is the only way I know how to make him."

Katherine propped herself up on Mikael's desk and crossed her legs. His plan seemed good enough, although Katherine was pretty certain he was losing it. Once the plan had been carried out, what would he do? She didn't want to be apart of anything that was only half-baked…and this plan reeked of half-baked ideas.

Mikael walked up to Katherine and brought her close to him, running a hand roughly up her thigh. This was the reason she went along with what he did…besides the pay that is. He knew how to please a girl. His mouth went hungrily to her neck as she placed her arms around his shoulders. Their plan would work, Mikael would be satisfied, and then maybe they could continue this without any further complications. Katherine just wanted Mikael to get his mind off of revenge. If she had to go through with his plan for that to happen…then so be it.


	16. Begin to Panic

_ One month later _

Caroline walked into the lunchroom with a perky attitude. In her hands, she held one paper. It was not just any paper though. This certain paper held the key to her future. It was the doorway to her success in her later years. That piece of paper was going to help make her a star. It was her acceptance letter to the college she had applied to. This was everything she had hoped her future would be.

The gang was all seated and chatting up a storm when Caroline strutted to the table. She gave Klaus a quick peck on the lips before dangling her paper in front of everyone.

"I bet you all will never guess what I have in my hands here."

"A piece of paper!" Damon exclaimed.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Not just any paper…it's my acceptance letter! I got in you guys!"

Everyone at the table broke into smiles. Klaus put his arm around Caroline's waist as everyone started telling her congratulations. How this was happening, she wasn't even sure. It all felt so surreal. The letter had just gotten to her house this morning and already she felt like life was moving in the right direction. As she looked down at Klaus, she realized she was getting more than she had originally planned for. His grades had been about average, but he had been keeping his nose on the books for a while now, so hopefully it wouldn't be too late for him. The art school he had applied too wasn't anything Ivy League like, but the better his grades were, the better his chances. Caroline didn't want him to miss out on getting an acceptance letter like she had.

Life was definitely getting better. Not only had she just gotten her acceptance letter, but also her mom had told the station about Mikael and begun the paperwork on him. The only bad thing was, that before they had gotten the chance to do anything about him, Mikael had fled. He was nowhere to be found. The police were currently looking for him, and poor Klaus was getting more nervous by the day. Caroline luckily knew a way to help his problem. She bent down and whispered into Klaus's ear.

"Follow me."

She winked at Klaus before waving a goodbye to everyone else. Caroline continued to walk through the cafeteria and out the doors. Her destination was not the classiest of places, but it would give her some privacy with Klaus. Yes, she was going to the janitor's closet. He was her boyfriend though! She wasn't running off with some random guy to make out with. Her and Klaus both needed some relief. She wanted to celebrate and he could stand to get his mind off of things.

Caroline quickly entered the room and hid behind the door, waiting for her prey. Sure enough, someone quietly walked in. Klaus looked around for her, not aware she was right behind him. She smiled and quietly closed the door. He turned around, smiling as she locked the door to the room. He raised a mischievous eyebrow, knowing very well she was up to no good.

"What? No candles?" he drawled.

"I was hoping to be spontaneous. Candles weren't in the plan."

Caroline walked slowly to where he stood. He eyed her fervently, biting his lower lip as she approached him. Her lips were on his faster than she thought she was capable of accomplishing. She tugged on his hair as her tongue licked his bottom lip, asking permission to enter. He granted willingly, sliding his hands up and down her back, occasionally finding their way down to her ass. She grinned through the kissing, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. He picked her up and took her over to a low shelf in the room opposite the door. Once he sat her down, he moved his lips down to her neck, traveling up and down her collarbone. His fingers trailed lightly up her thigh and under her skirt. She was happy she had decided against wearing her favorite pair of jeans this morning.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, slowly rubbing up and down against his hard-on. Klaus managed a groan through clenched teeth, shuddering as he exhaled. Caroline could feel that surge of euphoria run through her as she began throbbing down below. Klaus's hand kept wandering under her skirt, tracing every inch of her skin with his fingers. Her breath caught in her throat as she let her head fall back and closed her eyes. Caroline couldn't keep in the whimper that left her lips. Klaus shushed her.

"Quiet, love, or someone will hear us," he whispered.

Caroline nodded and bit her lower lip. Klaus's fingers slid gently under her panties, feeling her with a feather light touch. She was drenched at this point and his nimble fingers only made her wetter. They expertly rubbed her, adjusting their pace based on the noises that escaped from her mouth. As she realized she was about to hit her peak, Klaus changed things up. He removed his fingers, eliciting a whimper from Caroline. She didn't want him to stop! What she didn't realize is that he wasn't stopping. He was moving to stand on his knees and place his head directly between her legs. Her eyes widened as she felt his cool tongue on her blazing hot center. Her hips bucked closer to his lips as he kissed her softly and licked her senseless. Caroline released so hard, she wasn't sure it was ever going to end. Klaus's head popped up into Caroline's view as he licked his lips with a devilish glint in his eyes.

After a couple minutes of catching her breath and regaining her vision, she set to work. She had gone into the closet for Klaus's benefit as well as hers. Caroline stood up and pushed Klaus over to the wall. His eyebrow rose as he stared at her and realized that fierce look in her eyes. He could tell she was on a mission, she knew that much. She smiled as she placed her hands on his chest and let them slide down to the button of his pants. He was still very hard and she had every intention of helping him with that. Caroline carefully undid the button of his pants and unzipped them. Her hands traveled slowly down his boxers as she felt him completely. Now that she had relieved him of his pants a little, she could see how erect he truly was. Her eyes were smoldering now as she went down and put her mouth around him. It was his turn to buck his hips toward her mouth as she went up and down his length. After a few minutes of repeating this, Klaus finally released as well.

The two of them cleaned up soon after finding a box of tissues. That was something else that had been going great after Christmas vacation. Their sex life was on fire. No one was able to get her panties in a heap on the floor faster than Klaus could. She wasn't able to help but watch him as he caught his breath against the wall. The relationship they had felt well rounded. All the components seemed in place, at least to her. Caroline hoped that their little quickie in the closet was spontaneous enough to get Klaus's mind off of things, if only for a little while. She walked over to him and kissed his lips tenderly.

"Feel better?"

"Much, thank you," he replied huskily. She loved when his voice took on that tone.

"Anytime." Caroline ran her fingers through his hair, smiling all the while. There wasn't much she wouldn't do for this man.

"I know why you did this. It helped relieve some of the tension, but I'm still going to be worried until they capture that bastard. I won't be able to relax until he's in police custody."

"I know baby, I know. They're going to find him though. He'll be locked up for life. You even got Elijah to give a statement to them. And I bet…"

"No. I will not go to Rebekah for one. I don't trust her after everything she did."

"I don't either, but she _has_ been trying to talk to us ever since we got back to school. Maybe we should hear her out? She keeps saying it's important."

"I said no, Caroline. I won't ask her for help and I won't listen to what she has to say. I can't yet."

"Alright…then we won't. You know everyone is behind you in this. If you don't want to talk to her, then we won't either."

"Thank you…it means a lot to me. What you and your friends are doing. They've been great…and so have you."

His eyes looked lovingly at her, a small smile on his face. Caroline could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She loved it when he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. It made her feel special. No one had ever made her feel like that before. She put her arms around his waist and gave him a tight hug. If only they could stay like this for a while longer. Unfortunately, she knew class was going to start soon. They would need to make it out of the closet before someone noticed them.

"We should probably get out of here. Lunch is almost over," she said quietly.

"Sounds like a good idea. Let's go."

Klaus took her hand and together, they walked out of the closet after they had checked to make sure the hallways were clear. They walked hand in hand back to the cafeteria.

"Are we still going to the basketball game tonight?" Caroline knew that they should catch at least one game before their high school career was over. Football was the big sport of the school, but basketball was a close second.

"If you really want to. You know I'd prefer a night in, but if you want to, we will."

"Good, because I want to." She giggled as Klaus smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. Caroline was aware that Klaus would do just about anything to make her happy. Even if it involved participating in activities he absolutely hated, such as school functions. He had gotten better at going to some things, but he was more of an "avoid the crowd" person still.

The bell rang right as they reached the cafeteria doors. Together, they did a 180 and headed for their classes, laughing at their timing. Caroline was excited for tonight. It would probably be the only basketball game she attended, but as long as she got to see one, she wasn't that upset about it.

* * *

"Oh come on! They should have fouled that! Are you refs awake down there!" Matt shouted from the bleachers where he, Bonnie, Caroline, Klaus, Elena, Damon and Stefan sat. Caroline smiled at her friend, shaking her head. How he got so into sports, she didn't understand. It was only a high school basketball game. While she had been anxious to get to the game, she had never been a big sports fanatic. Caroline never insulted the refs or got rowdy at a game at least. It was always funny watching other people get like that though, so long as they were violent. And Matt was certainly not violent.

"I think you're friend is into the game," Klaus whispered in her ear.

"Yea, that's just Matt. He's always been a big sports fan."

"He could still be a little less embarrassing," Bonnie added quietly. The girls giggled as Bonnie turned back to whatever conversation she had been having with Elena before she eavesdropped. Bonnie and Matt had _finally_ gone official after vacation was over. Which made Caroline happy to the core. Her and her friends were all with outstanding guys, which is more than she could have hoped for. Damon had needed time to grow on her, but even he had proved himself to be interested in Elena's happiness. Caroline only hoped it all lasted until graduation. She liked this set up they all had going. For it to end would be very depressing.

"Hey, do you guys want to go grab a bite to eat after this? I'm starved." Matt frowned and rubbed his stomach.

"Well there's a surprise," Damon deadpanned.

"Be nice!" Caroline could hear Elena reprimand him from the other side of the bench.

"I was only kidding! Damn. Of course I'm in."

"I'm in too…obviously," Elena stated.

"Same," Stefan piped up.

"I'm in. What about you, Klaus?" Caroline turned around to face him as she was asking the question.

"If you're going, I'm going."

"Awesome!" Matt beamed before returning back to the game after a loud buzzer went off.

Caroline reached into her purse to get her phone out. She hadn't told her mom she would be going anywhere after the game, so she felt it right to inform her on the new plans. Her hand searched and searched, but she still found no phone. Well that was slightly alarming. All of her contacts were in there! She couldn't just lose her phone!

"Has anyone seen my phone?" She asked as she continued searching her purse.

"Maybe you left it in the car," Bonnie suggested.

"Yea. I remember having it in there. I'll go check. Be right back you guys."

Caroline gave Klaus a quick peck on the top of his head before maneuvering her way out of the bleachers and down the set of stairs. She wasn't one to just leave her phone in the car, but they had all been goofing around. As long as it was actually there, she wouldn't care. It was better than it having completely disappeared.

When she was outside, she did her usual scan of the parking lot. For the life of her, she could never remember exactly where she parked her car. Not to mention silver didn't exactly stand out against the rest of the cars. If only it was a hot pink or some obnoxious color that was easy to spot. Near the end of the lot, she found it. Caroline got her keys out as she walked to the car. At least those had been in her purse. She noticed it was eerily quiet outside. It always made her uncomfortable to be alone in the dark, but it was a silly fear. It was the school parking lot after all, even if no one was outside then. She would just do a quick search for her phone and then leave whether it was there or not.

Thankfully, it was. After a few minutes of rummaging in the back seat, she found her phone on the floor. Caroline couldn't remember how it had gotten back there, but she was so happy she had found it; she didn't even bother questioning it. As she was backing out of the car though to leave, she felt her body run into something solid. Then, all hell broke loose.

A set of strong arms wrapped tightly around her. One arm went around her waist while the other went around her chest so that they could put their hand over her mouth and nose. She felt a damp cloth and could smell something that was a little sweet, yet awfully potent. She realized she needed to hold her breath, but she also knew she would only end up inhaling deeper when she couldn't hold it any longer. Caroline attempted to wriggle out of what she assumed was a man's grip, but it was all to no avail. She went to kick him, but her legs already felt weak. When she tried to yell, no sound came out. She began to panic as she figured out that there was no way to get out of this. No one was coming to her rescue either.

The last thing she remembered hearing was the man telling a woman good job. After that, her hearing faded and everything went black.

* * *

Caroline was taking forever. Was it that hard to find her damn phone? Klaus loved her to no end, but she had her moments. The game was almost over and everyone was packing up. She had left when the buzzer went off to signal the end of the third quarter. Now the ending of the fourth was fast approaching and still no sign of her. He wanted to let her be a big girl and not worry over her every second, but it was becoming difficult the longer she took. He looked over to the rest of her friends…well, maybe _their_ friends. He wasn't entirely sure what to consider them yet.

"Um…I'm going to see what's holding Caroline up. She's been out there a while."

"She has been gone a while hasn't she…" Bonnie pondered.

"Let me go with you man. Although I'm pretty sure you're scary enough to frighten the big bad wolves of the world," Damon said, giving Elena a kiss on the cheek before standing up.

"Uh, sure. Thanks." What was Klaus supposed to say to that? Damon was being honest at least. Most people at this school feared him though. It was true. Maybe a little less when he hobbled onto school grounds a bloody pulp, proving that even he wasn't invincible, but the fear was still there nonetheless. Klaus nodded to Damon as they both walked down the stairs of the bleacher and out the door of the gym. A sudden urge to speak to Damon overwhelmed him as their silence became a little uncomfortable. It wasn't necessary for Damon to go with him, but he had been kind enough to extend the gesture of keeping him company. It couldn't hurt to at least try talking.

"Could I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you think I'm being…overprotective? Caroline's never said I've been, but…I don't know. She just went out to the parking lot. Is it wrong to worry what's taking so long?"

"Honestly man…if Elena had taken this long, I would have been out there ten minutes ago," Damon said sincerely. Klaus believed him. The man would do anything for his girl, just like Klaus.

"Thanks. I just worry about her."

"It's okay to worry. It means you care. That's what love does to us. We begin to worry about someone more than we worry about ourselves. We'd do anything to keep them out of harm's way. I mean…if I had to, I would be the bad guy in Elena's eyes, as long as it meant keeping her safe."

"I think I understand what you're saying. It wouldn't matter to you if you were considered the hero or the villain. What's important to you is keeping her safe."

"Kind of. Villain seems like a strong word though."

"Well…what if keeping her safe meant going against your morals? What would you do?"

"I guess it depends on how far the situation asked you to go against them. How bad is the problem at hand? If I don't go against my morals, my ethics…what happens to her? You have to ask yourself a lot of questions. It's no secret I'm deeply in love with Elena…but you raise a good point. How far would anyone be willing to go for someone they love?" The question was rhetorical, but Klaus kept trying to think of an answer in his head. The scary part was that he couldn't think of one.

The two boys reached the school's entrance rather quickly. The talking helped to pass the time. Damon wasn't a half bad guy, and they seemed to have a lot more in common than he originally thought. Klaus waved Damon over, asking him to follow Klaus to the direction of where Caroline had parked her car when they got to the school. He knew he should have seen her by now, but she was nowhere in sight. A terrible knot began to grow in his stomach.

He jogged over to the driver's side of the car and looked around. The door was closed and he presumed locked. As he got closer to the door to try it, he stepped on something. He removed his foot to pick up whatever it was he had stepped on. Klaus stopped when his foot had moved, however. He had stepped on Caroline's car keys…and right beside them was her phone. Klaus had watched her put the keys into her purse when they were in the school. Those had not been left or dropped out here when they had arrived.

"This is creepy, man. Not a person in sight, including Caroline." Damon scratched the back of his head, looking around with a hint of worry.

Klaus picked up the car keys and her phone as he set his mouth in a tight line. He tossed the keys to Damon, who had only just caught the sight of them flying toward him at the last minute. He looked at Klaus with confusion. Klaus watched as Damon put the pieces together upon seeing Klaus's infuriated face and the phone in his hands.

"Oh no…" Damon said quietly.

"Caroline?" Klaus shouted.

Nothing. Nothing but dead silence filled the night air. Klaus put Caroline's phone on the roof of her car and turned around in the place where he stood. All he could feel was panic. If only he had come out here earlier. He shouldn't have waited so long to come and check on her. Who knew where she could be at this point. As he looked around, he saw her purse by the trunk of her car. Caroline was out there with nothing to help her. Why had he waited so long? Why! He ran his fingers through his hair before pounding the roof of her car out of anger. He was beginning to shake, and it wasn't from the cold wind that was blowing.

She was gone.

"CAROLINE!"


	17. Worst Night Ever

Klaus sat on the sidewalk with his head in his hands. It had been two hours since Damon and him had called the cops. For two hours him and the group had been in this parking lot, trying to figure out who in the hell would take Caroline, and most importantly where they would have taken her. This entire time, not once had there been a call asking for a ransom. He couldn't help but feel shame as Liz paced the crime scene, figuring out what to do next. He felt like he had let her down as well as Caroline. Liz had trusted him to keep Caroline safe from danger. Elena caught Klaus looking at Liz and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She doesn't blame you. There was no way anyone could have prevented this."

"I should have been able to. Caroline should be with us right now, not out there. Thanks for trying though."

Klaus attempted a small smile before turning back to where Caroline's car was parked. The police had already questioned every one of them. Nothing they said had helped further the investigation, however. The cops were still at a loss on where to begin. There was no trace of evidence left behind by the kidnapper.

"Poor Caroline. What could have happened to her?" Bonnie asked.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing! There has to be something we can do to help," Matt suggested. It was a thought Klaus was all too willing to go along with. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing when the girl he loved was out there all alone.

"Ms. Forbes said there were no leads. Not even fingerprints anywhere. It's up in the air at this point," Damon said.

"Maybe we can talk to some kids around here. Hopefully someone saw what happened. Anyone want to go?" Stefan stood up and looked around the crowd that had developed in the parking lot when the cops had arrived.

"Me and Matt will go with you." Bonnie took Matt's hand, and with Stefan, they headed for the crowd to interrogate some of the students.

As the three had left the group, Klaus spotted Tyler Lockwood walking to his gang of minions. Klaus's temper got the better of him as he stood up. He was looking for someone to blame for this, and who better than that dick that didn't know how to treat Caroline right when he had her. Klaus stepped in Tyler's path, blocking him from moving forward. The two glared at each other heatedly for ages. Klaus didn't even realize that Damon and Elena had followed him to keep him out of trouble.

"If you have any idea who might have taken Caroline…you should probably speak up," Klaus said threateningly.

"Or what, Mikaelson? What are you going to do?" Tyler spat.

"Care to find out?"

The two continued to glare at each other before Tyler finally spoke up. "You honestly think I wouldn't have said something to the cops by now if I knew?"

"I honestly don't know, Lockwood. We both know you aren't the best of men." Klaus shook his head, disgusted at the sight before him. There wasn't anyone else he could think of that he hated more than Tyler fucking Lockwood.

As if the universe was trying to prove him wrong though, he saw Rebekah in his peripheral vision. Her and Elijah were walking straight to Klaus. Rebekah stood between Klaus and Tyler to separate them.

"Tyler, just go. I need to talk with Klaus."

"Fine by me." Tyler spared one last glare at Klaus before walking away and going to his own group of friends. Klaus looked down at Rebekah with a menacing stare.

"Who says I want to talk with you?" He said dangerously low.

"I don't think you have a choice at this point, Nik. I am not your enemy!"

"Well you should have thought about that before breaking me and Caroline up!" Klaus began breathing heavily as he started to turn and walk away. Rebekah wasn't going to allow that though, as she grabbed his wrist.

"I'm trying to get you two back together right now!"

Klaus's breath caught in his throat as he turned to face Rebekah. He hadn't actually tried talking to his sister for a long time. Ever since his trip to the hospital, Klaus had no desire to be in the same room as her. What she said had caught him off guard. She knew his weakness and that he was desperate enough for information to even listen to her.

"What are you saying?" He asked quietly.

"I think I know who took Caroline, Klaus."

Klaus and Rebekah stared at each other for a ages. How did Rebekah know who had taken Caroline? _Why_ did she know who had taken Caroline? Klaus turned to Elijah, hoping to get some kind of answer from him. Elijah nodded solemnly. A thought hit him as he turned back to Rebekah. What if this was what she had been trying to warn all of them about? Caroline said Rebekah had been trying to talk to them about something important. What if this was it?

"Start talking."

"I think it was father."

Why wasn't Klaus surprised to hear that? In fact, he should have guessed it was Mikael sooner than this. He was the only one with motive to take Caroline. She was close to Klaus...Mikael knew it would hurt him if Caroline disappeared without a trace.

"Tell me everything you know."

"When you were in the hospital last month, I found out that he was planning something bad. A girl named Katherine Pierce came up to me while I was sitting in the hallway. I had asked her for help with…well with the break up originally. When I told her I didn't want to see her again at the hospital, she told me I wasn't the only Mikaelson to ask for help. She told me he wanted revenge on you. I didn't know what was being planned, but I knew it wasn't good. I tried reaching Elijah, but his phone had been stolen. As soon as I found out, I tried to tell you guys. No one would listen though. I tried, Klaus. I really did! You have to believe me." Rebekah was crying at this point. It tugged on Klaus's heartstrings a bit. It was his little sister, it's not like he didn't love her. He was just extremely pissed at her.

"I believe you. I don't forgive you yet…but I believe you. Have you told the police everything you just told me?"

"Not yet, I wanted to tell you first."

"That was probably best. Thank you, Rebekah."

Klaus pulled Rebekah in for a tight hug. After everything that happened, her little break up plan seemed childish compared to this. Rebekah held tightly to Klaus's waist, reminding him of the old days when she would go to him for comfort. Klaus turned to face Elijah.

"What would you do, brother?"

"I think the cops needs to know as soon as possible. However…I also believe that father is a very wealthy, and when he wants to be, a very intelligent man. When he gets prison time, he'll find a way out. I'm almost positive. I'm wondering if it would be best for us to find him first."

"What about this Katherine girl?" Elena asked.

"Hard to say. Depends on if she is a minor or not, and it depends on how involved she is with this, I suppose. I'm not an expert with the law." Elijah said.

Klaus's thoughts were going in a million different directions at once. What was Elijah saying? Was it what he thought he was telling him? Why was all of this pressure riding on Klaus to fix the situation with his father? Well, honestly, he knew the answer to that. For one, it was his girl that was taken. Two, Mikael always treated Klaus the worst. Three…Klaus was the only one in his family who had the ability to actually _do_ anything about it.

"Elijah…are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"I believe so, brother. My family…will _always_ come first. As far as I'm concerned, he is not my family," Elijah stated almost coldly.

For some reason, Klaus's gaze reached Damon's. Who knew that their conversation would come into play so soon? "What would you do?"

"Me? Well…I think you know." Damon wrapped his arms around Elena from behind. Klaus nodded sadly. Elena seemed to be catching on to what everyone was insinuating. Her eyes widened in horror and she shook her head frantically.

"No! You guys can't be s-serious! Have you all gone insane? Klaus you _can't_! I'm not even saying he doesn't deserve it, which I can't believe I'm saying either. What about Caroline though? If you do this, what will happen to your relationship with her? What will you do after it is all over? And this Katherine girl! Where does she fit into all of this?"

"I never said it was a well thought out plan," Klaus shrugged, "but this is Caroline we're talking about. The safety of my friends and family are in question as well. This needs to end."

Everyone stood in silence for a while. The thought of what needed to be done was looming over everyone's heads. Could it be done? They were high school kids. To think of something as horrific as this…was it right? This all went back to what Klaus considered right and wrong. Was it right to do something so drastic? What would it mean for him after? He had plans on going to New York with Caroline after they had graduated high school. If he went through with this…what did it mean for the two of them? The police would be looking for him. They would have to. Did that mean he should stay in town to keep suspicion low then? No matter what he did, it wouldn't end well. If he let Mikael go…he would surely find a way out. He always did.

"What if you can't do it, Nik?" Rebekah asked.

"I'm not sure. I'll have no choice but to leave it in the hands of the police I guess."

More silence. Klaus was becoming more and more unsure of this plan. He wasn't evil…he wasn't his father. This all sounded more like something Mikael was capable of, not Klaus. Elijah of all people had suggested it though. Did that mean that everyone he knew and loved was capable of doing something like this? He shook his head while thinking everything over. Klaus couldn't just let Caroline be tortured until the police came to her rescue. He couldn't take the risk of Mikael not being blamed for his actions and being set free.

"Look…I'll figure it all out when I see him. Right now, we just need to find out where he took her." Klaus sighed. His heart was beating at an undoubtedly fast pace, and he felt like he was going to throw up. This was without a doubt the worst night of his life…and he had gone through plenty of awful nights in the past.

"Father…well, _Mikael_ wouldn't have taken her to the house. It would be too obvious. Does he ever leave his study to go work someplace else?" Rebekah said, letting go of her brother and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not usually. At least when I lived there he didn't. If he did, it's not a place he would let all of us know about. Klaus, are all of your friends with you?" Elijah asked.

"Um…Bonnie, Matt, and Stefan are talking to some of the other students. Everyone is here at school though, if that's what you're wondering. Why?"

"Gather them quickly. We should all head to the house and start there if we have any intention of finding Caroline soon."

* * *

"Any luck?" Stefan yelled from the upstairs hallway.

"Nothing so far," Klaus yelled back, "Elijah, are you sure we're looking in all the right places?"

"These are the first places I feel he would have hidden some sort of clue. I know there is something in this house that will tell us where he is keeping her."

"For her sake, I hope you're right." Klaus inhaled deeply, trying to keep his calm. They had hit a stand still. Damon and Elena were upstairs with Stefan and Rebekah looking for clues, while Bonnie and Matt had staid downstairs with Klaus and Elijah to search. So far, no one had found anything. No papers or documents of any kind. Klaus knew that Elijah was right and that there had to be something around here. His father was usually pretty good at hiding his tracks, however, he had gotten sloppy lately. Mikael had been drinking more and seeping further into insanity. He had to have slipped up at some point.

Klaus continued looking around Mikael's study. Where would he hide any valuables? There was no safe for them to crack open and his desk drawers didn't hold any lock boxes. All that had been hidden away in the drawers was a picture of him and some girl who looked alarmingly a lot like Elena. When Klaus had brought it upstairs to show them, Elena had to take a few minutes to reassure Damon she was not in on this. He had believed her even before Rebekah confirmed that the girl in the picture was in fact Katherine. The other girl's hair was very curly, and that evil grin on her face was certainly not something anyone would see on Elena's face.

"Has anyone checked to see where this Katherine girl lives? What if that's where they have Caroline?" Bonnie asked, walking into the study with Matt and sitting down on the couch.

"Rebekah knows. Her and Elijah made a stop there before coming here. Katherine's parents were in the living room watching TV, but there was no Katherine with them. Apparently the house isn't that big either." Klaus continued pacing as he tried to think of where Mikael would hide his important possessions or documents.

"Okay, so maybe not her house, but does _she_ have someplace private they could go to?"

"Gee Bonnie, I didn't think about that. I think you may have solved our whole problem," Klaus said sarcastically.

"Watch it," Matt warned.

"Calm down everyone. Tempers are high right now and we don't need anyone fighting. We have to work together to find Caroline," Elijah reminded them.

Klaus took another deep breath. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I understand. I was only trying to help."

"It's not you, really. I just…I feel like I'm being useless right now. I should be able to find Caroline and go save her. I don't like feeling this way." He sat down on the floor and leaned against the desk.

"You aren't useless, Klaus. You're the best thing to happen to Caroline in a long time. We're going to find out where he's keeping her, and then we'll make our move. She's going to be alright," Bonnie reassured him.

Klaus gave her a small smile for the effort. At least she was trying to comfort him. He wasn't about to give up, but the search was slowly dying. Elena and Damon had come downstairs at this point and joined everyone else in the study. Stefan and Rebekah seemed to be looking upstairs still. Klaus ran his fingers through his hair. He had a lot to do in a short amount of time. The clock was ticking and he needed to find Caroline before Mikael did something to her.

The front door to the Mikaelson manor opened at that moment, and everyone in the study turned around to face the newcomer. A little Kol walked inside, closely followed by Esther. His mother noticed the congregation with a suspicious eye. Klaus wasn't sure what she thought of him having people over, much less if she even cared. Kol smiled and ran to Elijah while Esther stood in the entryway to the study. Esther's gaze turned to Klaus.

"May I speak with you, my son?"

Klaus nodded slowly before getting up and following her out into the foyer so that they were out of earshot from everyone else. She looked at her son sadly before looking to the ground. Something was bothering her, he could see that easily.

"I know…I know I haven't been the best mother to you. I see how your father treats you compared to the rest of the siblings. I'm aware that all I've done is watch as it happened to you. Your father convinced me long ago that it was for the best and that you deserved it…and for the longest time I agreed with him."

This was going just swell. Klaus's lips formed a thin line as he stuck his hands into his pockets to hide the fists he had made. She better be going somewhere with this.

"Mikael had me convinced that it was right. Looking back, I don't know why I listened to him. It was stupid of me to believe that his form of discipline was in any way a form of justice. I guess I thought…oh, it doesn't matter. What I thought was right doesn't matter. The fact remains that it wasn't. I hope, that over time, I can make it up to you. Starting with tonight."

Esther reached into her pocket and dug around it until she pulled something out and grasped it tightly in her hand. She took Klaus's hand and placed the object into his. It was a small silver key. He looked back to his mother, not understanding what she was trying to tell him. He didn't have to wait long before she continued.

"This key goes to the cabin me and your father used to visit once upon a time when we wanted to be alone. Remember? It's just outside of town, and about a thirty-minute drive. I know Mikael has been seeing someone else. He thinks I don't know…but I do. I also heard some policemen talking outside of the park where Kol and I were. I know that the girl you've been seeing has gone missing. I don't think it's a coincidence that your father left late last night without a word, just in time for this to happen. I'm sure he has something to do with it. I've watched him ruin peoples' lives for too long now and I won't stand by silently any longer."

She reached her hand over to touch Klaus's face. He never thought he would see his mother look at him like that. With such compassion and love. It was foreign to him. The only people to ever look at him like that were his siblings and Caroline. A single tear fell from his face. He knew she wasn't finished and that this moment wouldn't last.

"Tonight, I'm packing my bags and leaving. I won't be returning to town either. I plan on talking to Elijah before I leave. I don't know if Kol would prefer to stay with him or come with me, but I need to see if it's even a possibility for Kol to stay with your brother first. Klaus…the police don't know what kind of man Mikael is. So, I want you to know that no matter what happens tonight…your mother will never look at you differently ever again." Esther placed her free hand on the other side of Klaus's face. She softly kissed his forehead before letting him go. After one last look, she slowly walked up the stairs. Esther passed Rebekah and Stefan on her way to her bedroom. Those two had been so quiet that Klaus wasn't sure how much they had managed to hear.

Everyone kept giving Klaus the same hints and tried telling him to do the same thing over and over again. What if he wasn't able to go through with it? Would it be frowned upon for him to let the police handle it? Honestly though, would he be able to let the police handle it? He knew that once he saw Caroline in whatever condition she was in after being in Mikael's possession…the chances of him keeping his anger in check were slim. He eyed the small key Esther had given him. She may have good intentions, but Klaus wasn't sure he would ever be able to truly forgive her. Staying silent for as long as she did was inexcusable to him. He had suffered for far too long to want to give her any sympathy. Even if she had just looked at him like a loving mother was supposed to look at her son. It was all too late.

Klaus walked back into the study, with Stefan and Rebekah close behind him. Everyone was silent for a long time. His face quickly hardened before anyone could see him. It was time to get back to business. Klaus walked over to Kol and told him to head upstairs to his room for a bit. After a few grumpy looks, Kol finally agreed and stomped up the stairs. He hated not being a part of the conversation. Klaus turned to face everyone else.

"I have the key to where Mikael has probably taken Caroline. There is a cabin about thirty minutes from here. I know the area is isolated and the perfect place to keep a hostage."

"Do you have a plan?" Elijah asked.

"No, I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. The most important thing is getting her out safely."

"We'll go with you. You know, for back up," Bonnie said.

"I think it would be best if the women staid here. Especially you Elena, since you and Katherine look too much alike." Klaus did not want the guilt of something happening to Elena by accident on his conscious. Not to mention the wrath of Damon Salvatore.

"Understandable. Just bring Caroline back to me safely." Elena took a deep breath before going to sit next to Bonnie. Of course Rebekah would not agree so quickly.

"I want to go, Nik. I can help you! I could help with Katherine while you dealt with Mikael. It makes sense!"

"I don't want to put you in harm's way, Rebekah."

"But Nik-"

"No buts! My decision is final." Klaus stared her down, not ready to give in so easily. She scowled at him before finally storming out of the room.

"I'll go with you, brother," Elijah stated calmly.

"Me too," Stefan added.

"Oh no you don't," Damon said.

"I'm a big boy, Damon. I think I can handle myself."

"If you're going then I'm going too."

"Damon, I think it best you stay here," Klaus stated. He nodded subtly toward Elena. Damon frowned, but seemed to understand what Klaus was getting at. He didn't say anything after that.

"It's settled then. Elijah, Stefan, and I will go to the cabin to save Caroline and face Mikael. Now…we need to come up with a plan. I'll do whatever it takes to get Caroline free. If necessary…I'll even do what the police probably won't do. If I have to…I'll kill Mikael."

* * *

Caroline's eyes felt like they had been glued shut. It was a weird sensation. After a few tries, she could finally feel her eyelids peel open. What had happened to her? Where was she? How had she gotten here? She groggily surveyed the room she was in. It looked like a bedroom. The walls were made of wood and so was the floor. A fireplace stood off to the side with a fire roaring inside. A rug was laid in front of that and then an armchair had been placed to the side. Besides some other decorative things here and there, that was about the extent of it. She attempted to get up, but found she couldn't move her arms. A few seconds of tugging told her she was tied up. Her legs had been tied to the bedposts as well. This place didn't look familiar at all.

"I see you're finally awake. Only took you about two and a half hours."

A girl walked out of a doorway, one she presumed led to the bathroom. Her vision was still fuzzy, but it looked an awful lot like Elena. Her voice sounded a bit off though. Something about it didn't seem so sweet and friendly like Elena's was. As her vision became clearer, she could see the girl's hair was curled tightly and she was wearing a tight, black chemise with touches of dark red lace. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked over to the bed where Caroline was being kept prisoner. Was this who had taken her prisoner? No, no she had remembered a man's grip around her. This girl couldn't possibly be strong enough to have kidnapped her alone.

"Who are you? Why did you take me?" Caroline squeaked. Her throat felt dry and it kind of hurt.

"Oh sweetie, I didn't take you. No, you'll meet him in a minute. My name is Katherine. We did go to school together, but I don't see myself going back to that place. Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you." Katherine took a seat beside Caroline and brushed some hair out of her face. Caroline shuddered at her touch. What kind of creepy hell had she been brought to? Wait…had she really been out for that long? Someone had to be looking for her by now. Was it too much to hope for?

"You still didn't answer my question. Why was I brought here?"

"Unfortunately, you're just a pawn. It was nothing you did of course, you just happen to be very valuable to a certain boy."

"Klaus…"

"Bingo, we have a winner."

"So…Mikael is the one…"

"You got it. You're a smart cookie."

Caroline furrowed her brows. Great. Her boyfriend's psychotic father had managed to kidnap her and take her to some unknown place. Not only that, some crazy girl from school was in on it. Oh please let someone find her soon. She tried the restraints on her hands, but found they wouldn't budge. And…oh god they were fuzzy handcuffs. Gross!

"You know, if you're a good little kitten, I could probably persuade Mikael to go easy on you. I mean, eventually he'll have to make his mark on you to hurt Klaus, but…I'm sure we could have a lot of fun with you before that. It doesn't have to be all bad," Katherine cooed.

"I love Klaus. I would never be good for Mikael."

"Suit yourself. I was only trying to help you." She shrugged and leaned in closer to Caroline. Her lips barely grazed her ear as she whispered to her. "Mikael likes it rough though. Keep that in mind if you decide to misbehave."

With that, Katherine stood up and sauntered out of the room. Caroline didn't know if Mikael was even in this god-forsaken place, but she hoped he wouldn't come in the bedroom for a while. All she wanted right now was for her mom to come and arrest Mikael and Katherine for kidnapping. What she might want even more than that though…was Klaus. She wanted to curl up to him and know everything was going to be fine. Caroline wasn't ready to die at the hands of some psychopath. Tears started streaming steadily down her face as she yanked on the handcuffs more. She needed to pull herself together if she was going to get out of this. Klaus would want her to be strong. So would her mom and her friends. For them, she had to be tough and she had to be smart. Her moment of opportunity would come, and she would take advantage of it. Caroline could be patient. Everything was going to be all right. It had to be.


	18. The Showdown

"How are you doing, Niklaus?"

"How do you think?" Klaus hissed.

Elijah was driving them to the cabin, with Klaus in the passenger's seat and Stefan in the back. How was he doing? Was it not obvious? A million different things were going through his mind as he contemplated what he was supposed to do when he faced Mikael. Before they had left, Stefan and Klaus had packed a duffel bag full of possible necessities while Elijah went and talked with Esther. It had been settled that Kol could live with Elijah if that was what he wanted. And Kol had informed them that it was. His mother would be gone by the time they got back to the house. If everything went to plan that is. Klaus didn't want to start thinking down that path though.

Stefan and him had filled the duffel with a variety of things. A flashlight, some rope, a first-aid kit, rags, gloves, and the thing Klaus would have liked to forget about most…Mikael's black 9mm Beretta pistol. It hadn't surprised him to find out that Mikael had it hidden in his bedroom closet. Klaus had been sure to handle it with gloves on so as not to leave any fingerprints. If it truly came down to needing it, he wanted to be sure he left no trace of evidence.

The three of them had been tossing around ideas constantly during the car ride to the cabin. They all agreed that the top priority was getting Caroline out of there. The stealthier they were, the easier things would be in the end. The idea was to attract no attention from Mikael or Katherine. How they would do that was still undecided.

They planned on parking the car away from the cabin as well to keep from leaving tire marks. It was apparently deeper in the woods than he had thought. Just as that crossed his mind, Elijah pulled into an abandoned parking lot. It was time for them to start walking. They all got out and headed in the direction of the woods. Stefan carried the duffel bag while Klaus surveyed the area. The location of the cabin could work in Klaus's advantage. No one was around the parking lot, so no one would see them entering the woods, and the chances of someone seeing them leave would be slim. Elijah claimed to vaguely remember being brought to the cabin long ago. Klaus just hoped his memory was decent.

"How exactly are we supposed to be sneaky again?" Stefan asked.

"We're going to be very, _very_ quiet," Klaus whispered.

"Okay…then how are we going to get Caroline out?"

"I'm still working on that."

"I think maybe we should work on that a bit faster since we're in the process of walking there."

Klaus took a deep breath. He liked Stefan, he did. However, he was getting on Klaus's last nerves. Everyone and everything was. He didn't have a full proof plan to get Caroline out. He was just a high school kid for crying out loud. It wasn't supposed to be his job to save the damsel in distress from the evil father. It wasn't supposed to be his duty to slay the monster. Klaus just wanted to live happily ever after with the damsel in question…but that would be too easy, now wouldn't it? Nothing was ever that simple for him. Nothing.

"I'm trying," Klaus responded.

The trio began to unconsciously walk slower as their heads filled with possible scenarios, outcomes, and rescue methods that could play out. Klaus felt his blood pumping as he realized they were getting closer and closer to the cabin. This was it. The time for him to face his father once and for all was upon him. What would he say? What could he do? Mikael was stubborn, and even that was an understatement. He knew the only way to get Caroline was to pry her out of his cold, dead fingers. The scary part was…that the thought actually brought him some joy.

"Klaus…we're here," Elijah said quietly.

The three stopped and looked out in the distance. Among the trees, a well-sized cabin could be seen through the nighttime. The lights were all on in the house. Klaus couldn't see a single person though. Not Mikael, not Katherine, and most importantly, not Caroline. If he just knew where she was being kept, this mission would be a hell of a lot easier. The trio began to circle the cabin, looking for any signs of life. They passed about two more windows before looking into one and finding just the girl they were looking for.

Inside, he could see Caroline tied up to one of the beds, tugging harshly on her restraints. Klaus stared for ages at the scene inside. From where he was standing, she didn't look to be harmed, but they were still kind of far out from the building. He wasn't truly sure of what her condition would be when he reached her. His eyes stared blankly at the window, a feeling inside him growing stronger. Was it rage? Yes…it was a burning anger deep within him that he felt rising to the surface. He loathed Mikael…Katherine…his mother…and the universe, for putting him in this fucked up situation in the first place. He was tired of taking it. Tired of everything good in his life being taken away from him. He could feel something snap in him. His mouth set in a tight line and his eyes stared at the cabin with such hatred and malice. His body began to shake slightly as his fists clenched together.

Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Klaus.

"Circle the cabin. Check in every window," Klaus commanded, "I want to know exactly where Mikael and Katherine are. Text me when you find out. And I swear…if either of you have your phone off silent mode…I will not be afraid to break bones." His tone suggested there would be no further questions. Stefan and Elijah looked at each other, noticing the difference in his demeanor. Neither of them said a word though as they nodded and did as Klaus told them too.

The cabin was a one-floor house, with no second stories to climb too. It would either be the death of the mission or a surprise blessing. Klaus turned his phone over and over in his hand, anxious to get news of everyone's whereabouts. He paced, trying to figure out his next move. His phone lit up a couple minutes later. It was from Stefan.

_I'm standing by the kitchen window. Katherine is there now. What do I do?_

Klaus thought for a minute. Where was Mikael? Had Elijah not spotted him? If Katherine was there, Mikael had to be there somewhere too. Something seemed off, but he couldn't keep waiting for a response from Elijah. He needed to act now to get Caroline out. His eyes darted around the forest floor as if it held the answers for him. He turned back to his phone and began typing.

_I need you to distract her. Elijah hasn't text me yet. Keep an eye out for Mikael. Don't be long. I need about five minutes max to get in, get Caroline, and get out._

With that, he put his phone away and walked toward the bedroom window as silently as he could. Of course Stefan would still have the duffel bag. That had a lot of stuff he could probably use right now. His eyes kept scanning around the area, searching for Mikael. Caroline was still in the bedroom alone. He had to move fast or the opportunity would be lost. The last thing he wanted was for someone to interrupt him while he got Caroline out. Not now. He was not in the mood whatsoever.

The window wasn't locked as he gently lifted it up. Hmm. That was almost too easy. Klaus eased himself into the room, shutting the window quietly behind him. He turned to face Caroline, gagged and tied on the bed. When she saw him standing there, she burst into tears. Klaus looked at her with utter confusion as she kept shaking her head. He moved hastily to where she was imprisoned and carefully removed the rag that was tied around her mouth.

"No no no no no. Get out! Klaus get out of here now! Please! Please you have to," she pleaded as quietly as she could. He looked at her with utter helplessness while he attempted to calm her down, stroking the sides of her arms as he looked at the fuzzy handcuffs that held her to the bed. What was she going on about? And why in the hell were there fuzzy handcuffs? That sick bastard…

"Shh. Caroline, love, it's alright. I'm going to get you out of here."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Klaus sat on the edge of the bed and felt his body go stiff at the sound of that voice. That's why Caroline had wanted him to leave. Mikael had known he would be coming for her. Klaus shut his eyes tightly as he tried to steady himself. He could really use that duffel bag right about now. Slowly standing, he faced the man who had made his life a living hell. Mikael stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, looking as relaxed as ever. Klaus stared icily at him as his eyes met Mikael's. Then…Klaus smirked. He felt detached as he walked around the bed to move closer to his enemy. He laughed humorlessly as he raised his eyebrows almost playfully and spread his arms out wide.

"How about you try and stop me?"

* * *

_ Meanwhile _

Stefan eyed Katherine warily as he walked through the front door. Klaus had told him to keep an eye out for Mikael, but he hadn't seen him this entire time. Elijah also seemed to be MIA at the moment. Where had he run off? Ugh. He shouldn't be worrying about Elijah. What he needed to be doing was distracting the little minx in front of him. Stefan could see the slyness hiding behind Katherine's eyes. She eyed him like a lion that hadn't seen a gazelle in weeks. He could see she was figuring out how to pounce. This could work in his advantage for distraction, as long as Mikael didn't walk in on them.

"I can't lie. You were probably the last person I expected to see here tonight, Stefan Salvatore."

"Well my friend told me there was a cabin out here looking to be sold, but apparently they were very misinformed." He set the duffel bag by the front door as Katherine led him through the foyer and into the living room. It was a very massive cabin. Even if it was all one floor, you could easily get lost in a place like this.

"I'm just glad to finally meet one of our school's star football players."

"Oh, you flatter me too much. I'm definitely not the star of the team."

"Nonsense. I watched you play all year and I have to say that you were one of the better players."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me, as does your hospitality. You really didn't have to show me the house. I understand it isn't for sale." Maybe he wasn't half bad at this lying game. He seemed to be pulling it off so far.

"It's my pleasure. A girl gets lonely in a house this big. I could use the company. Please, sit." Katherine sat down on the large sofa, crossing her legs slowly as she lounged back. Stefan hadn't missed her…outfit. He wasn't entirely sure what she was up to with Mikael, but he definitely would not be asking. Some things were better left unsaid. She was making the distraction all that much easier for him from his perspective. Klaus had only said to distract her for five minutes though. This might end up being more of a problem for him than anything, but he sat down in an attempt to avoid any suspicion on his part.

"Why are you alone?" He asked, feigning interest.

"Oh, you know," she drawled, scooting closer to him, "I like my privacy. What better way to get it then out deep in the woods? Where no one can bother you." Katherine placed her hand on Stefan's knee. She was moving faster than expected. Time to really lay it on thick. He did his best to look longingly at her, like he never thought he would get a chance to be this close to her. From her expression, she was buying it. Her hand moved slowly to his waist as her fingers danced along the button to his pants. Before he had a chance to say anything in response, her leg swung over him so that she was straddling him on the couch. His eyes widened for a split second before he reined in his emotions. He needed to be calm about this.

"Stefan, consider yourself a lucky boy tonight. I'm about to give you everything you could ever hope for," she purred. He had a hard time swallowing as he realized this had gone _way_ too far already. Katherine was expecting to go all the way, not just make out a little. Her lips came crashing down to his as she attempted to seduce him further. He refused to kiss her back, keeping his mouth shut and not participating. She noticed immediately and pulled back, lust and anger in her gaze all at once.

"Not wanting to play nice, huh? Well, too bad. You would have been such a nice plaything. Looks like it's down to business then."

She gave a sly grin before reaching around behind her to pull something out. What that was, he didn't find out, because someone jumped Katherine, knocking her off of his lap and onto the floor. The attacker, who happened to be another girl from the looks of it, wrestled on the floor with Katherine for whatever she had in her hand. Stefan jumped off the couch and away from the fighting women. As Stefan watched the two roll around, he finally saw the face of his savior. It was Rebekah. What was she doing here?

"Don't you touch him, you filthy little whore," Rebekah hissed as she straddled Katherine on the floor, throwing the object of their attention away. The shiny item landed close to Stefan, just inches from his feet. Katherine had managed to pull a small knife out from somewhere. She obviously had seen him coming from a mile away. None of this made sense though. Stefan narrowed his gaze at Katherine, who was currently being restrained by a feisty Rebekah.

"Katherine, where is Elijah?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, realizing that she had lost this fight. "Knocked out on the back porch. Whatever your plan was, it failed miserably. Mikael knows you guys came for Caroline, and he's dealing with it appropriately. You may have won this battle, but you're about to lose the war."

He glared at Katherine intensely, kicking the knife farther away from her. He'd be damned if this messed up duo won anything. "Rebekah, keep her here. This war isn't lost yet."

She nodded as Stefan ran back to the front door toward the duffel bag. This house may be huge, but he had to search every last inch of it for the room Caroline was being held in. He needed to get to Klaus before Mikael had the chance to deal any damage. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Blood was everywhere. Fists were being thrown and so was household décor. Klaus ducked as Mikael threw a glass vase his way. He needed to get Caroline untied and out of the line of fire, but so far, he had only managed to stun Mikael long enough to untie one of the restraints on her leg. There was no key in sight for the handcuff situation. Not a thing to pick the lock with either. He could see her trying to loosen the other tie on her leg with her free one while Klaus attempted to dodge Mikael's attacks or throw a few punches himself.

Klaus had probably added a few more bruises to his already beaten up body, as well as a few gashes that would likely turn to scars. One of Mikael's eyes was swelling shut with a nasty black and blue color around it. His nose kept bleeding profusely after Klaus had taken swing at it, probably breaking it as well. Now, they stood facing each other. Broken glass lay near Klaus's feet from where the vase had shattered. Mikael looked almost pleased at the scene.

"Looks like you got a little fight in you, boy. Guess you weren't a complete failure. I mean…you did manage to get this pretty little thing to take an interest in you. How'd you manage that?"

Mikael achieved his goal as Klaus charged forward. It didn't matter to Klaus that Mikael was trying to rile him up. He wasn't going to listen to Mikael talk to him like that…especially about Caroline. Unfortunately, Klaus was running out of steam quick. His body was beginning to weaken from all the beatings. It was enough of a window for Mikael to strike and bring Klaus to his back on the floor, with Mikael's hand over his throat. Klaus only looked at him with unflinching eyes. He refused to back down now.

"What a _waste_ of space you are. I'll be doing the world a favor when I rid it of your pathetic excuse for an existence. You know…nobody ever loved you. Not. One. Person."

"Liar!"

Mikael looked up at Caroline who was seething from her spot on the bed. Her eyes were wild with determination and spirit. Mikael cocked his head, as if asking why in the world she would defy him. He took one last, disgusted look at Klaus before banging his head against the floor and standing up. Klaus was breathing heavily now, watching Mikael's every move as he inched closer to where Caroline laid. His muscles were still weak and he wasn't sure his adrenaline could pump harder than it already was. Horror washed over him, as he once again felt helpless.

"I'm sorry…I don't believe I asked your opinion, little blonde one. However, I do believe it would be a lovely parting gift for dear Klaus to hear you _moan_ in pleasure from my touch."

"KLAUS!"

Both Mikael and Klaus turned to the door where Stefan stood. After that everything happened in a blur. The gun flew from Stefan's hands and fell a few inches from where Klaus lay. Mikael's eyes widened in shock as he realized just whom that gun belonged to. Both men rushed toward the black object, Klaus scrambling on the floor while Mikael moved swiftly from his spot near the bed. Both men reached the gun around the same time, Mikael hovering over Klaus in his attempt to get it. And then…

A loud and deafening bang was heard through the whole house.

* * *

The air was still as the sound resonated around the cabin. Crickets could probably be heard chirping if someone listened hard enough. Rebekah and Katherine stilled themselves in the living room as the sound of the shot frightened them from their earlier tussle. Stefan stood in the doorway still, frozen in place and too scared to move a muscle. Caroline's whole body quivered as she strained herself to see the floor and what had happened. Everything was silent, except for the sound of heavy breathing from everyone. However, the stillness only lasted a couple minutes, even if it felt like a lifetime.

The silence was broken by the sound of a very dead Mikael being pushed off of Klaus's body.

Mikael's body hit the floor with a _thud_ , and Klaus very carefully stood up. Without a word, he walked over to Caroline's last restraint on her leg and untied her. He then went to her handcuffs, and with all the strength he could manage, broke the cuffs. He went around to the other side of the bed and did the same thing. The key was not in sight, so she still had handcuff bracelets, but that could be taken care of once the key was found. At least she was free from the bed.

Caroline looked in his eyes, and what she saw scared her. He seemed so…emotionless. There was no expression on his face whatsoever. He seemed so empty. Their gaze met for a couple minutes before he staggered back and shook himself out of whatever trance he was in. After that, he walked out of the room quickly, not speaking to anyone. Stefan walked in slowly, looking at the scene before him. It took him a while to get his bearings straight, but he seemed to snap out of it and began looking around the room. He eventually found what he was looking for, which was the key to her freedom. Caroline gave a small smile as he walked over and unlocked her from the handcuffs. Once those were gone, she rubbed her wrists and looked at him with sad eyes.

"I…I have to go find him."

Stefan nodded and Caroline got up as fast as she could. Which was probably a bad idea, since her legs were a little wobbly from all the action she had just witnessed and everything she had been through before that. After getting her balance back, she walked out of the room. It wasn't until now that she realized she didn't know her way around the place. The cabin seemed large and she had no idea where Klaus went. Guess she better start looking. She walked down one hallway and peeked into every door she passed, but no Klaus. It took her one more hallway and three doors later before she found him.

The room looked like a small study area. It had floor length windows and bookshelves covering the walls. A desk was placed near the window and a couple of recliners opposite that, along with a large couch. It could have been quite the cozy place to read a book or get some work done. If only the events that had happened just a few minutes ago were nonexistent. The moon shone through the window, hitting Klaus's face just right as he stared out into the forest. Caroline knew something was different. She walked over to him cautiously; somewhat afraid he would run off again. His face was still emotionless and his body seemed rigid. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he only shrugged it off. Ouch.

"Klaus?" she said softly.

Nothing. She was afraid this wasn't going to end well, but she couldn't lose him. Not now.

"Please…please talk to me," she pleaded with him. He finally turned to face her, but his eyes seemed lifeless. They were hard and uncaring.

"I have nothing to say. There's nothing to talk about."

"But there is. Klaus…"

"I said there is nothing to talk about. Drop it."

"Don't you dare-"

"Don't I dare what?"

"Don't you _dare_ shut me out, Klaus Mikaelson! Don't even think about it. We need to talk about this." Tears were rolling down her face now. She couldn't really be losing him. This wasn't actually happening. It couldn't be.

"Like I said, nothing to talk about. The problem is gone and that's that. I killed him and it's done. I've just come to realize it's easier not to care."

"Says who? You are not the type of person to not care."

"Well I guess you don't know me as well as you thought you did. Trust me, it's easier this way. Now leave me to have some peace and quiet."

"But Klaus-"

"I said go." He turned to look back out the window, his back toward Caroline with his arms crossed over his chest.

She stood staring at him in disbelief. He just didn't care anymore? That was it? Tears continued to roll down her face, as the thought of him being lost to her was becoming reality. Caroline turned toward the door, ready to leave him be. A thought came to her though. She refused to lose one of the best things to happen to her in a while. The last time his walls had gone up on her, it was to hide his feelings for her. Now, he was hiding something from her as well. This time, she wasn't running. She was Caroline Forbes and she was not about to back down from him. Caroline turned back around and marched over to stand in front of Klaus. He gave her a weird look.

"No," she said defiantly.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said no."

"Why in the hell not?"

Caroline softened her expression now. "I love you."

"Good for you." His lips set in a tight line and he looked back out the window, attempting to ignore her. Caroline wasn't buying it. She put a hand on his cheek.

"I love you."

His gaze was set intently on whatever he was looking at in the forest. She placed her other hand on his cheek and gently made him look her in the eyes.

"I love you, Klaus," she said quietly.

Caroline watched as his resolve began to waver and his eyes began to water. He closed his eyes and tried looking away, but it was to no avail. Her hands never left his face.

"I love you _so_ much. I care about you more than you will ever know. I trust you with my life. And you have to trust me when I say shutting off your emotions won't make things better. Hiding them won't make everything disappear. I want you to understand that no matter what you do…I'm never going to run from you. Ever. If what you need right now is peace, then that's fine. If you just want me to go because you don't want to talk about this though…then you need to know you're making the wrong choice."

Still silence. Caroline let go after realizing that she wasn't going to be able to get through to him. He had been through a lot in a short amount of time. She understood all of that. Losing him was too scary a thought not to have at least tried doing something. Caroline turned to walk away, having given it her all with Klaus, when she felt his hand grip her arm. She turned her head to face him and tears were falling steadily down his face. His eyes were no longer cold, but they showed something else entirely.

"I'm scared, Caroline," he said, his voice raspy from crying.

He wasn't lost to her. Relief swept over her as she faced Klaus completely and embraced him tightly. His body shook as he silently cried and held on to her for dear life. She stroked his hair with her fingers, trying to comfort him as best as she could. The words began falling out of his mouth as he held her.

"When we first came to the cabin to get you, I saw you through the window. I saw you tied up and trying so hard to get out of it. I couldn't stop thinking about Mikael taking everything from me. I kept thinking about all the bad things that have happened to me recently and throughout my whole life. It would just be so easy if I didn't care. If I didn't care then none of it could hurt me anymore. A part of me knew what I had to do tonight to get you out, and I was afraid I would talk myself out of it and not do it. If I didn't care though, it wouldn't matter. I would be able to do it. When I got angry after seeing you in the window, and seeing him stand in the doorway, I thought I had a chance of going through with it. And then he pinned me on the floor and started threatening you, and I felt helpless again. At least I was until Stefan showed up with the pistol like a gift from heaven. I realized that I had no choice but to do it then."

"Why did you try to push me away after all of it if you knew you had to do it?"

"Because I thought you'd never look at me the same way again. I _enjoyed_ killing him. I couldn't stand it if you rejected me for that, angel."

"You're right. Tonight, you saved my life. I'll never look at you the same way again." She smiled, rubbing his back as he pulled away slightly to look at her. His eyes were red and he had a small grin on his face. Together, the two of them went to sit on the couch. Caroline held Klaus in her arms while he rested his head on her chest. She proceeded to continue running her fingers through his hair as they both calmed down from everything. Yes, he had killed tonight. It had been to save her though. It had been to protect everyone from a psychopath.

"You know, you haven't called me angel in a while."

"Well, you weren't the only one who needed saving tonight apparently. It felt appropriate."

She smiled as she placed a kiss on the top of his head. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while until they heard Stefan's voice calling for them. They looked at each other and got up at the same time. Klaus took a deep breath before taking her hand in his and walking out of the doors to the study. Caroline had thankfully been able to help Klaus before he went down a terrible path. Unfortunately, it was time to get back to reality.

Now, they had a dead body to worry about.


	19. Aftermath

All of them looked at the dead body that was on the floor. Katherine sat on the bed, handcuffed and restrained so she would not escape them. Elijah sat on the floor with an ice pack to his head, still recovering from the blow he had taken earlier. He had only awakened recently. When Stefan and Rebekah had found him, he had still been passed out on the back porch. Caroline felt bad for him. He had gone through so much trouble just to rescue her. She owed him her life as much as she owed the rest of them.

"So, what are we going to do with him?" Stefan asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

They were only high school kids. Dealing with a dead body was not on everyone's bucket list. It obviously wasn't something any of them had ever imagined doing. No matter how many crime shows Caroline enjoyed watching, this wasn't television. This was real life, and she was now faced with getting rid of a dead body. She was pretty sure Mikael was starting to stink as well. Just great.

"Would anyone have a reason to be out this deep in the forest?" Caroline pondered.

"Not to my knowledge. It was mother and Mikael's cabin. He was big in the community though. Someone will notice when he hasn't come back in a few days," Klaus said.

"What about your mother saying something?"

"She won't. Trust me." His voice sounded ominous. Caroline wondered how much she had missed.

"Would burying him be sufficient then? We would have to do a serious clean up in here, but if we buried him deep in the woods and hid the gun with him, would it be enough?" Caroline asked.

"Hey guys?" Rebekah piped up.

"We'd have to clean the gun thoroughly. Stefan and I have touched it, leaving fingerprints all over. Maybe if-"

"Guys!"

Everyone turned to face a fuming Rebekah. Realizing that all the attention was finally on her, she calmed down immediately and cleared her throat. She hesitated a bit before beginning, unsure of what she was going to say next.

"I think I have a plan, if anyone wants to listen?"

Caroline had remembered Stefan telling her and Klaus the story of how Rebekah had arrived to the cabin. Just in time to stop Katherine from knifing him. While she was still on thin ice with everyone, Caroline knew Rebekah was trying hard to get back into everyone's good graces. Honestly, Caroline already felt like she had forgiven Rebekah. A childish high school break up was silly compared to everything they had just endured. It really put things in perspective for Caroline. She smiled and nodded to the other blonde, showing that at least she wanted to hear her idea. Klaus, upon seeing Caroline's answer, followed suit.

"I spoke to Sheriff Forbes privately before making my way here. After Klaus told me I wasn't allowed to go, I knew I had to do something. I was too worried not to. So, I spoke with her, and explained what had happened to Caroline. She told me of the search that was put on father after his disappearance. I told her that police custody would probably never contain Mikael. He had his resources." Everyone listened intently as Rebekah continued. What had her mother and Rebekah been up to?

"She was hesitant at first, but she caught on to what I was saying and agreed with me. All she wanted was to find Caroline and get her back safely…and keep her that way. The sheriff told me she would be risking a lot to help me if this was what we were truly planning. I told her I understood…but she agreed to help anyway."

"What did my mother do?" Caroline asked. Her interest was peaked entirely at this point in the story.

"The sheriff agreed to turn a blind eye. She even helped me come up with a story to cover our tracks." At this, Rebekah pulled a small packet of matches out of her jeans. Caroline's eyes widened in realization at what she was suggesting.

"She wants us to burn the place down," Caroline said quietly. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"That's exactly what she wants us to do. The less amount of evidence, the better."

"So what else did she say exactly?"

"The sheriff told me we're supposed to make the house fire look like an accident so no one suspects arson. We need to empty the gun of the remaining bullets and clean it of prints. As much blood as possible needs to be cleaned up. Somehow, we have to make it seem like Mikael did something to cause the fire."

"Candles," Elijah added a bit distantly. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before continuing, "If we can get Katherine here to corroborate our story, we can say Mikael came here for a romantic weekend with our mother. Or so we thought. In reality, he was coming here for a romantic weekend with Katherine. Katherine had yet to arrive here when one of the curtains caught fire from candlelight. He hadn't noticed because he was in the kitchen, but when he smelled the smoke, he ran in here. Unfortunately, he tripped on the rug and fell, hitting his head. He remained unconscious while the fire continued to burn the cabin to the ground, the flames swallowing him whole."

Everyone in the room stared silently at Elijah. It was surreal listening to such a calm man explain such a horrific story as if it was nothing. Caroline shivered once before finding the words necessary to answer his well thought out story.

"Wouldn't it be weird if Katherine never reported to the police though after seeing the house engulfed in flames?"

"No, because Katherine never intended to meet him. She realized at the last minute that she wasn't going to meet him at the cabin. Instead, she decided to go out of town. Leave school and get away from this small town."

"And what makes you think I'll go along with this little story?" Katherine finally spoke from her spot on the bed. Klaus walked slowly over to her, putting his face right in front of hers.

"You saw what I did to Mikael. Do you really think it wise to test me right now?" He threatened.

"Because we will give you the money to get out of town and go wherever you want. You will need to pack your bags and leave tonight though," Elijah said calmly, as if Klaus had not just threatened her.

Katherine seemed to consider this for a moment before looking Klaus up and down and turning to face Elijah.

"Fine. I suppose things could be worse. I doubt my parents will question my leave of absence either. I want to go to Europe. Paris has always caught my eye," she cooed. Klaus gave her one final glare before walking back to where Caroline stood.

"Done. I assume Mikael brought you here in his car, so one of us will take you back to your house so you can gather your things. Once you are at the airport, remember to pay for everything from there on out with cash. Besides that, what you do from there after is your business. Just tell your part of the story if anyone asks and everything will be fine. If we all stick to our parts, the police should come to believe that the story we've just created is true." Elijah stated formally. Caroline watched the business transaction that was taking place in front of her.

"Agreed. Your secret shall be safe with me." Katherine shrugged nonchalantly. Caroline stared at the girl with obvious confusion. What a bitch. All this pain and trouble she had caused them and yet her mind was easily changed after money was introduced to the picture.

The group seemed to visibly relax after hearing Katherine's agreement. Caroline turned back to Rebekah.

"Did my mom say anything else?"

"She wanted me to make sure that we all had alibi's for tonight, just to be safe. If the fire was an accident, then no one should be questioning others asking about a motive. Your mother wanted to cover everything though. We'll have to talk to Bonnie, Elena and Matt. We could probably say we were with them if they staid in the house. I doubt anyone was paying attention to where we went because of Caroline's disappearance. She said-"

"Oh my god! You guys! How are we supposed explain my return after just disappearing? If Mikael was at the cabin waiting for Katherine supposedly, where was I?"

"Anywhere but here. Your mother said just to fill her in on whatever cover story we came up with. Say the guys were a couple of idiots and you were able to get away unscathed. Also, you didn't recognize them in any way. No big deal."

"Oh." That was a lot easier than she had thought it would be. The long day was taking a toll on her. Although she didn't see any of this as _no big deal_.

"Does that deal with all the basics then? Are we ready to actually do this?" Stefan asked.

The group got quiet as everything sunk in. Was it possible they were going to get away with murder? Caroline tried thinking about something else. The last thing she wanted to do was jinx any of this by thinking they had already won. The act had yet to be done and she needed to remember that. She faced Klaus who was already looking at her. They shared a moment before they both snapped back to reality. They would do this together. Caroline wouldn't let him go through this ordeal alone. She took his hand as he faced the rest of the group, taking the role of leader.

"Elijah, if you are feeling better, I think you should take Katherine here to her house and then the airport. We need to begin getting everyone out of here. Take your car. When it's time for us to leave, we'll take Rebekah's car. Watch your back and make sure no one is watching. And Katherine, I would suggest putting on a pair of pants before leaving."

"Alright, alright. You lot are going to have to trust me enough to untie me. I promise I won't bite," Katherine said. Elijah slowly got up and untied her from the bed and led her out the door. Caroline hoped they wouldn't regret letting her go. What else would they have done though?

"Now, Stefan and I will get everything ready in here. Caroline, Rebekah, you two go out to the living room. Get the duffel and wait for us to finish out there. I don't want either of you to have to deal with the mess in here."

Klaus gave Caroline a kiss on the forehead before pushing her and Rebekah to the doorway. Caroline looked back once more at the two boys looking at the dead body. She sighed and picked up the duffel, heading into the living room with Rebekah. She was ready for this to be over.

* * *

There was a lot of awkward silence between the two girls. Shuffling and grunting could be heard from the room they previously occupied. Caroline had no idea what she was supposed to say to Rebekah, and vice versa apparently.

"I-uh…I'm sorry about your father," Caroline said solemnly, attempting to reconcile with the other blonde.

"Yea, thanks. Sorry he kidnapped you and everything."

"Thanks."

More awkward silence ensued. This was going marvelously. She furrowed her brows and bit her lip. Why was she trying to make things better anyway? It was Rebekah's father who had caused this mess. She shouldn't feel obligated to say anything. There. Her conscious was clear.

Her resolve wavered a bit when she heard Rebekah sniff.

The other Mikaelson's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She was trying to keep Caroline from seeing, but she was failing miserably. Caroline moved closer, but Rebekah inched away too. Not violently, but enough to signal that she didn't wish to be touched. Before Caroline could speak, Rebekah had actually made the first move.

"Everything is messed up. My father is dead, my mother is leaving town, Stefan doesn't want anything to do with me, and I feel so _alone_. Everybody is abandoning me and I still have a year of school left. It was never supposed to be like this," she finished quietly. Caroline hesitated, unsure of what her next course of action should be. At least she understood why Klaus sounded so upset when he spoke about his mother earlier. She staid where she was and gave the best words of comfort she could.

"All I can say about your mother and father is I'm sorry. I got lucky. I never had to deal with that, so I can't even say I know what you're going through. For Stefan, just give him time. He feels hurt after what you did, but I'm sure when everything settles down things could happen for you two again. Lastly, no one is abandoning you. Elijah will let you live with him and Kol, or he might even move in with you guys in the manor. Klaus will just be in New York with me and we'll come back often. You aren't alone, Rebekah."

The younger blonde turned to look at Caroline, a sad expression on her face. "Why are you being nice to me? I don't deserve it."

"Everyone changes. I happen to think you do deserve it." Caroline could hold a grudge like no other, but right now, Rebekah needed friends. Better friends than the ones she had. Not Tyler Lockwood, not Vicki or Jules, but Caroline and her friends. Rebekah needed to know that high school hierarchy would never last, and that she would end up wanting friends like Caroline and her crew. Then again, who could tell what the future would bring. Like she said, everyone changes. Maybe Vicki and Jules would prove to be better friends for her than Caroline was giving them credit for. She had a hard time thinking Tyler would though. Her opinion wasn't completely fair, but she felt entitled to it after dating him.

Rebekah nodded and wiped her eyes. She inhaled deeply before looking back to where Klaus and Stefan were tampering with the evidence. "You really think he'll give me another chance?"

"I think it's possible. Stefan is a good guy, and if you show him you're trustworthy and willing to try for him, I bet he'd be willing to try in return."

A small smile formed on Rebekah's lips and she gave a determined nod. She turned to Caroline, and once she realized they were having a moment, her smile disappeared.

"You know, this doesn't mean we're suddenly friends now. You still beat the hell out of me in that classroom."

"I didn't think we were. I could beat the hell out of you again too, so you best keep that in mind." Caroline and Rebekah stared at each other for a while before they both eventually broke out into chuckles. They may not be friends, but at least they were headed in the right direction.

Both of the boys decided to walk out then, a less than thrilled expression on their face. Unfortunately, their conversation couldn't be as light hearted as Caroline and Rebekah's had been, at least not with a dead body in the same room as you. Klaus's hands were stained red and Stefan…his hands were spotless. Caroline knew then that Klaus must have insisted upon doing all the dirty work. Without a glance in their direction, Klaus walked off to what she assumed would be a bathroom or the kitchen sink. Stefan looked at them grievously.

"He made sure I didn't touch Mikael. I just lit the candles and placed them in the appropriate places."

Caroline and Rebekah looked at each other before Caroline stood up and headed over to Stefan. She gave him a tight hug before letting go and turning to the direction Klaus went. Stefan would be in good hands with Rebekah. Caroline needed to tend to Klaus.

She found him in a large bathroom that stood at the end of one of the hallways. Klaus was washing his hands at the sink rather relentlessly, trying with all his might to get the blood off, even though his hands were already clean. Caroline swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat as she came up from behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He hadn't thought anyone was watching, she was sure. Otherwise his defenses would have been up and he would have pretended to be fine. He stood still as he felt her arms around him. The sink was turned off and she could feel his hands on top of hers. Klaus brought one of her hands to his chest before placing a kiss on her knuckle and letting his lips linger on her skin. After a deep breath and without a glance toward her, he took her hand gently and they walked out of the bathroom, back to the mess at hand that they still had to deal with. They were almost done though. Almost.

* * *

"The three of you get to the car. Text me and tell me if the coast is clear and then I'll set the curtains on fire and get out of here."

"It's too risky, Klaus. There has to be another way you can burn the place from outside."

"The flames won't spread that fast, Becca. I'll have time. This place is large, but not that large."

The four of them stood in the living room, discussing the next turn to take in their plan. Caroline wasn't pleased, however.

"I'm not leaving you. Stefan and Rebekah can go to the car and send the message. I'll go back when you do."

"Caroline, of all the times to argue the point, now is most certainly _not_ one of them."

"Good, then no arguments. I stay with you until the deed is done. Glad that's settled." She smiled in challenge and he just glared at her. He took a deep breath to calm his anger rather than his nerves, and finally nodded his agreement to the plan. Stefan and Rebekah took the duffel with them and went out the front door. Caroline watched Klaus; constantly worried he was going to snap again at any moment. She wasn't sure how she was going to ease up on him as the months went by, much less the next couple of weeks.

A few minutes passed before Caroline could hear the ding on Klaus's phone go off. He checked it, and then nodded to her before walking into the bedroom. Guess that meant the coast was clear? She huffed and walked toward the front door to wait for him. A few minutes passed and she wondered what was taking so long. It shouldn't have taken that much time to set curtains on fire and get out. Just as she was about to go back and check on him, she heard him call her name in a somewhat panicked voice.

"I'm by the door, Klaus!" She yelled.

His head appeared out of the corner and she could see the relief wash over him as he briskly walked to her.

"What took so lo-what are…HEY!"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Klaus was tossing her over his shoulder, shutting the door behind them, and walking out in the direction that she assumed their getaway car was parked.

"Isn't this a _little_ unnecessary?" She questioned.

"Better to keep track of you, sweetheart. Your track record for disappearing is quite a terrible one," he said matter of factly.

"Fine. Whatever. All I was going to ask is why did it take you so long?"

"Well I had to make sure the damn thing was going to burn. If we did all that work only for it to snuff out and not do anything, then wouldn't it be a shame?"

"Oh. Right…good work then." She frowned and put her chin in her hands, finally seeing the window to the bedroom clearly. The inside burned brightly with orange and red flames. Her eyes widened as she averted them, determined to focus on the trees that littered the forest floor. Klaus chuckled lightly at the tone to her response.

"Thanks. Thought I might as well be thorough."

It was silent for the rest of their journey to the car. He finally put her down once they had reached the parking lot. And she looked around, realizing it had felt like forever since she had seen the outside world. Klaus opened the passenger door for her, and she stepped in quickly, ready to depart from this nightmare. He got in on the driver's side and slowly backed out of the eerily abandoned place once he got settled. Klaus made sure to go the speed limit and Caroline stared out the window as all of the occupants of the car sat in silence.

Caroline was ready to see the rest of her friends, she was ready to see her mom, and she was ready for this all to be behind them. A thought crossed her mind as she reached for her phone. Thankfully, Mikael and Katherine hadn't ruined it when they took it from her earlier. After everything had been settled, Stefan said he had found it along with the keys and returned it to her. She sent a quick text and put it back in her pocket, gazing back out the window as the car drove through the still night. Surprisingly, her phone buzzed soon after, signaling the incoming of a text. It was from her dad. Caroline hadn't expected him to reply so quickly, but a small smile crept up on her as she read it. If he only knew…

_I love you too, sweetie. And I'm the lucky one, to have a daughter like you. Hope you're being a good girl for me :)_


	20. Thinking of the Future

Everyone sat in Klaus's living room that night. Caroline had gotten back with the other three about an hour ago, and now everyone was just holding their breath…well…those who were awake at least. She wasn't sure what for. What news would they be getting tonight? It turned out that the other four had remained at the Mikaelson Manor. They would be the alibi for Klaus and the rest of them. That at least had been decided.

Caroline sat in the floor curled up to a now sleeping Klaus. Would the police find out tonight? Would Caroline's mom even text her? She had called her mom, explaining to her that she was okay. Her mom had told her she could stay with her friends that night, and that they would spend the day together tomorrow. She also said she would handle everything at the station. Her mom was truly terrific, and she hoped she never forgot that.

She looked around the sleepy living room. Matt and Bonnie were fast asleep on the couch, Damon's head rested on Elena's lap while he slept soundly, and Stefan and Rebekah were no where to be found. Caroline really did hope they worked things out. Rebekah needed someone right now, and she knew Stefan missed her. He would never say so aloud, but she could tell from his longing looks. He felt betrayed, but he still loved her. As long as his pride didn't get in the way, and Rebekah apologized profusely, she felt good things would happen for them.

Her gaze met Elena's and they smiled at each other. After the craziness they had all endured, after everything that had happened this year, they were all still alive and for now, they were all safe. It was surreal to just be sitting down, knowing that only hours ago she had been tied up with a psychopath running around. She felt safe now, the safest she had felt, in fact, for a long time.

Caroline and Elena communicated silently to each other. It was that thing that best friends were able to do with each other. Elena eased Damon's head off of her lap and let it slide gently to the floor. All he did was snort, then turn over. Elena and Caroline stifled their giggles while Elena walked to the kitchen. Caroline lifted her head from Klaus's shoulder and quietly got to her feet. The only movement he made was scrunching his eyebrows together and looking more serious. She gave an affectionate smile before tiptoeing to the kitchen.

"Anything in the fridge?" Caroline whispered.

"I'll check. You look in the pantry," Elena whispered in response.

The two of them rummaged through shelves until they got a variety of late night snacks. Personally, Caroline felt like she could eat a horse. She didn't know how long it had been for Elena, but it had probably been hours for Caroline. Like… _hours_. After a few minutes, the countertop was filled with an assortment of goodies that would certainly clog their arteries. Chips, cookies, and each girl had a small pint of ice cream. Caroline had some kind of chocolate chip cookie dough, while Elena had a caramel looking one. It was a girl's dream.

"Oh my god I'm starving," Caroline licked her lips and dug into the ice cream.

"I am too. We didn't eat a whole lot while you guys were gone."

"Oh, Elena!" Caroline chided quietly, "You just dig in now then. All we need is a bag of candy. Licorice sticks or something since we have enough chocolate."

"I have sticks in the cabinet," came a tiny voice from the entrance to the kitchen.

Caroline looked up from her food to see a pajama clad Kol rubbing his eyes. To complete the adorable child look, he held a brown teddy bear to his chest with one arm. Caroline got up from the tall kitchen stool and picked the littlest Mikaelson up.

"Kol! What are you doing up, silly?"

"I couldn't sleep," he yawned. She smiled and set him down on the stool beside her. Caroline could see Elena's eyes get big at the child sitting across from her. It was hard not to dote over Kol. Had Rebekah actually left him here asleep while she went to the cabin? While Caroline was glad she had gone, since it saved Stefan in the end, she couldn't see how leaving Kol alone and sleeping was any good. That girl…Caroline shook her head at the thought.

"Can I stay up with you guys? I'm hungry," Kol said, eyeing the smorgasbord before him. Caroline chuckled. Klaus was going to kill her for letting him stay up with them, but she couldn't deny such a darling little boy. Especially one wearing Superman pajamas.

"Only if you tell me what cabinet you're hiding those licorice sticks in," she whispered. A broad smile crossed his face. She held a finger up to her mouth to remind him to be quiet since it was so late. He smiled and nodded in understanding.

"That one down there," he whispered, pointing to a cabinet beside the stove. She gave Elena a funny look, but the other girl only shrugged. Caroline checked the cabinet, and sure enough, there was a bag of licorice inside of a saucepan. No one would say it wasn't a unique hiding place at least. She took the bag and brought it back to the counter for all of them to share. Kol already had his hands in a bag of Oreo cookies and was dunking them in a glass of milk. Caroline pretended to look appalled.

"How dare you dunk those delicious cookies!"

Elena giggled from her side of the counter. "Because that's the right way to eat an Oreo."

"Not you too!"

Kol giggled and it was one of the sweetest sounds Caroline had ever heard. Elena reached a hand up to high five him and he gave her one enthusiastically. She sighed and shook her head, feigning exasperation.

"Don't you guys know that twisting the Oreo is how you properly eat it?"

She grabbed a cookie and demonstrated her technique for them. Then, she ate it, realizing just how much she missed eating them. Next grocery run, she was getting a bag.

"That's what Klaus always says. You both are wrong though."

Caroline stopped chewing and swallowed, allowing a small smile to spread across her face. This didn't go unnoticed by Kol. He gave her a sly smile. She quirked an eyebrow at him and took a sip of the milk Kol was dipping his cookie in.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." He took another bite of cookie and gave her a sideways glance. She squinted her eyes and looked at him.

"You are going to be so ornery when you get older. What were you thinking?"

"Are you guys in love?"

Caroline saw Elena smile while she quietly ate her ice cream. Kol had this hopeful look in his eyes, and Caroline wasn't sure where this was going. She had thought Kol would have known that, but he was young. Did he understand what love was?

"Kol, what do you think love is?" Kol looked as if he thought about this for a moment, eating another cookie while he looked to be pondering the question. It made Caroline grin. She placed her head on her hand and watched him think of an answer. Finally, he turned to her with a serious look on his face.

"I think love is when you can fart in front of someone, and they don't think you're icky. I saw Rebekah toot around Stefan once and he just smiled at her." Kol giggled and put another Oreo in his mouth. Caroline bit her lower lip to keep from busting out and Elena was having a quiet fit across from them. Yes…Kol would turn into a bona fide man when he got older. As soon as Caroline was sure she could speak again, she turned to Kol.

"Is that…is that all you think love is, sweetie?" Caroline's voice came out at a higher pitch than she had wanted, but at least she hadn't started laughing. Kol thought about it again, and this time, his answer actually gave her hope for his future.

"I think it's when your brother buys you a stuffed animal because you didn't make friends the first day of school," he gave a quick glance to his teddy bear before continuing, "Or when you can't stop smiling at the mention of someone's name. Love is when you always wear the necklace a boy gave you because it's close to your heart."

Caroline rubbed her eyes and subconsciously touched the necklace Klaus had given her so long ago, on the night of the first football game. He had been so conflicted then. As if it would hurt to let someone in, yet he didn't want to keep Caroline away. She smiled at Kol.

"And how did you know the necklace was from him?"

"He showed it to me. I told him I liked it."

Caroline shared a look with Elena. Klaus had actually wanted his little brother's opinion on the gift. For some reason, it was ten times more special to her than it already had been. Even now, Klaus was still surprising her.

"He also smiles more than he used to, even with the way daddy treats him. They think I don't know, but I'm not _stupid_. Daddy is mean to him. But, even when he gets boo boos he still smiles. I asked why once, and he said I wouldn't understand until I was older. Again, I'm not dumb."

"You certainly aren't, Kol. I mean it." She pushed aside the thought that Kol still thought of his father in present tense. It tore her up inside, even if the little boy knew his father had been a bad man.

"Thanks. You never answered my question though. Are you guys in love?"

Caroline smiled and then nodded slowly. "Yes…I believe we are."

"Good. Because I like you."

"Well I like you too."

"Are you going to get married?"

Caroline stopped mid bite. They were going to college together, and that was only if Klaus got into the college he applied too. They would both be going to New York together at least, but she wasn't sure they'd actually be going to school together yet. Still, married? That was a completely different topic and one she hadn't even thought about. They hadn't even been dating a year yet. Their relationship wasn't like most, and she wasn't exaggerating when she said that, but she needed more time for that to be an option.

"I don't know. Your brother and I haven't been dating a long time. Only time will tell."

"If you two get married, could you make sure there is a lot of food? I like ham."

Caroline chuckled. "Of course, and ham is a must."

"And no vegetables?"

"And a _lot_ of vegetables." He frowned and she messed his hair up. Kol attempted to hide a yawn, but it didn't work very well. Caroline and Elena grinned at each other before they both stood up.

"Come on, time for bed."

"Fine," he pouted, "will you guys come tuck me in? And read me a story?"

"Of course. You have to get in bed first!"

Kol smiled, taking his teddy bear, then Caroline's hand, and took them to the stairs. Elena stopped at the first step though. The sudden halt in movement made Caroline and Kol both face her.

"You know, I think I'm going to go clean up in the kitchen. I'm tired and we can't leave that mess in there." She smiled and kneeled down so she could hug Kol properly. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep well."

"I will. You too!" He smiled at her and Caroline mouthed a goodnight to her as she continued walking up the stairs with Kol and into his room. He ran over to his little bookshelf and searched the books, while she went to lean against the headboard of his bed, taking note of the Incredible Hulk bed sheets. Kol came back to his bed, book in hand, and scrambled up into his bed. Caroline watched as he got all situated in bed and snuggled up against Caroline. After he was finished, he handed the book to Caroline for her to read. She smiled and looked down at Kol with joy.

" _Bert and the Missing Mop Mix-Up_? I used to read this book when I was a kid!" She said in a hushed tone, still trying to be quiet since it was so late.

"Klaus gave it to me as a birthday present. It used to be his. I like it though and it's one of my favorites"

Caroline bit her lower lip as she opened to the first page. Well tonight had just been full of surprises. She couldn't stop from smiling, however, as she read the book aloud. By the time she finished, Kol was fast asleep beside her. She smiled and yawned, understanding just how tired she really was then. Caroline put the book down on Kol's nightstand and rested her head against his. It wasn't long before she too fell asleep.

She wasn't sure what time it was when she stirred again. It was still dark outside, that much she could tell. Caroline could feel something being draped over her and warm hands brushing her hair. Her vision was still blurry with sleep and the fact that the room was pitch black didn't help either. She squinted her eyes to try and see, but that failed.

"Shh, go back to sleep, sweetheart. I didn't mean to wake you," a man's soothing voice whispered to her.

Caroline lazily reached for his hand, too tired to do much else. "But…what about…"

"It's okay. We'll have other nights to spend together. Kol just beat me to this one. I'll have to watch him when he gets older. That kid is going to charm the pants right off some unsuspecting girl."

She smiled at the joke. A pair of soft lips touched her forehead, and then vanished before she wanted them to. Her vision slowly began to clear as she watched Klaus walk to the doorway. He turned back to give her an affectionate look, one she returned, and then he shut the door behind him. Caroline grabbed the blanket he had put over her and brought it up so that she was completely covered in it. The blanket smelled slightly of Klaus. The feel of it told her it was one that she had remembered seeing in his room. She grinned, closed her eyes, and easily fell back into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

After that night, a couple months had passed before Caroline and the gang had gotten any more news on the subject of Mikael's death. Somehow, they had literally gotten away with murder. The police came up with the exact story the kids had hoped they'd come up with. It was made out as an accident, and the case was closed soon after. The town held a funeral for one of their more generous donators. Caroline and every last one of her friends attended.

As if the whole thing wasn't strange enough, no one questioned why his wife wasn't there to say her last goodbyes. From what Caroline heard, they had all just assumed it was too tough for her to deal with. Little Kol cried at the funeral, but he never shed another tear after that. Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus didn't weep over their departed father once during the procession.

On a drastically more cheery note, a month after the funeral, the group attended the wedding of Alaric and Jenna. It had been a small, quaint wedding. Elena had been the maid of honor, while Caroline and Bonnie were the bridesmaids. Everyone had partied well into the night, and there were more than a few wasted casualties. Bonnie had been one of those casualties surprisingly. Caroline always thought that spot would be reserved for Matt.

Now, Caroline was sitting outside on the football field in a folding chair, messing with the fabric on her gown. This was it. This was her time to shine. After this summer was over, she would be in New York with Klaus…and she would be going to school with him. He had gotten accepted to the same place she would be attending. He would be studying art while she studied fashion. Caroline was still wondering how any of this could be real.

"Bonnie Bennett."

Caroline smiled at her friend as she was called to the stage. She heard a wolf whistle from the crowd, but realized it had come from Matt. A giggle escaped her lips as she watched Bonnie wave to the crowd and take her diploma. A few more names were called. Caroline kept getting anxious, waiting for her name to be announced.

"Matt Donovan."

Matt let out a big "woo" and then went up on stage pumping his fist in the air. Laughter erupted throughout the crowd of students as he took his diploma, beaming all the while. She watched Matt send a wink to one lucky girl in the crowd. Caroline turned to see Bonnie, who was blushing furiously from her seat. Her school wasn't that big, and she knew her name would be called soon. Caroline wasn't one to get nervous in front of a crowd, but with her luck, she'd trip and fall in front of everyone.

"Caroline Forbes."

This was it. She took a deep breath and stood up. Caroline walked toward the stairs to the stage with as much grace as she could muster. She would not fall…she would _not_ fall. A smile spread across her features as she walked up the stairs in her heels without a hitch. She reached Principal Anderson without any problems. The diploma slid into her hands, as if it was meant to be there. And quite frankly, it was meant to be there. She had gone through hell to get here, and she wasn't going to be denied this opportunity.

Caroline looked out into the crowd to take in the moment. Bonnie and Elena were giving her encouraging smiles. Matt was doing some kind of dance in his seat. The Salvatore brothers gave her thumbs up. Her mom was wiping a tear from her face where she sat with everyone else that wasn't in the graduating class. Beside her, Elijah sat with Kol and Rebekah. All three of them were waving to her, Kol's more enthusiastic than theirs. Finally, her eyes landed on him. Klaus gave her a tiny wink, that half-smile of his on his face. She grinned and did a curtsy toward the crowd. They cheered and she got off the stage, proud that there had been no slip-ups. The principal then called the rest of the class to the stage, but Caroline only remembered the moment all her friends went up, if she were being honest.

"Elena Gilbert."

Elena went up with much more elegance than Caroline had even shown. From the crowd of parents, Caroline could hear Jenna give a loud "woo" much like Matt had. She turned around to see Alaric giving Jenna an embarrassed look. Jenna just shrugged and acted like she had done nothing wrong.

"Niklaus Mikaelson."

The crowd got slightly quieter at his presence on the stage. Caroline gave him a wink that was much like the one he had given her. Still, the man refused to smile in front of everyone, but he had definitely seen her.

"Damon Salvatore."

"Stefan Salvatore."

Neither of the Salvatore brothers did anything goofy. They just smiled for pictures and took their diplomas. She felt sad that their parents weren't there to share the memory with them. They had their girls though. Damon was still with Elena, and Stefan had reconciled with Rebekah. It had taken Stefan longer to trust Rebekah again than she had originally thought, but he still welcomed her back nonetheless.

After everyone's name had been called, confetti managed to appear from somewhere as music started to play. The principal said a few final words before announcing their class, and telling them that they could move their tassels. The crowd of students roared with excitement and soon, everyone was throwing their hats in the air. It also became a flurry of movement. Everyone was running to their friends and significant others. Caroline wasn't so sure that this had been what the school planned, but she doubted they would say anything to the kids who had just graduated. Everything had started happening so quickly.

Caroline could see Matt running to Bonnie and picking her up to twirl her in the air. Elena found Damon and they embraced, putting their foreheads together. She found Tyler making out with a scantily dressed Vicki in one of the folding chairs. Caroline shook her head. Some things would never change. Her vision moved to the stairs that the rest of the crowd was descending. Rebekah came down the steps as quickly as she could in her heels, walking hurriedly over to Stefan. He walked over to her to meet her half way. It was all lips and elbows after that.

She looked around, but all she could see were other students piling around her and slapping the backs of their friends. Caroline wiggled her way out of the crowd and still, no sign of him. She frowned, finally spotting her mom, who was heading toward the parking lot with Elijah and Kol. Well that was nice of her to wait. Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled around to see a set of bright blue eyes and pouty lips.

"Looking for me, love?"

Caroline gave Klaus a look, squinting her eyes and pursing her lips. He gave her a charming grin that erased any scolding she would have been able to do in the first place. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a smoldering kiss to those full lips. His arms snaked around her waist and he gave the kiss his all. When they parted from the heated contact, her eyes shone brightly up at him.

"So Mr. Mikaelson, when will we be going up to New York? Check the place out and everything?"

"Well…I was thinking we could go up in a couple of weeks? Check out the apartments and stuff?"

"Sounds like a plan to…wait, what?"

Had he just said apartments? Her brain took a moment to register everything. She had thought they'd go to school together, but living together hadn't crossed her mind. She had been expecting dorm life. Was it too soon? Caroline searched for the right words, but none came to mind. Klaus chuckled at her expression before pulling out something from his pockets. She gasped at the sight of a key on a silver chain.

"I kind of already struck a deal with a guy who was selling his penthouse. Said he would give us a week to test the place out, and if we liked it, it was ours. It's really nice and I thought you would like it, but I couldn't be certain."

"Ours?" She was still wrapping the idea around her head. He only smiled and held the key in the palm of his hand.

"Caroline Forbes, would you move in with me? For the school year, at least."

"But Klaus, what happens if we break up? What happens if-"

"Caroline! Don't worry about any of that right now. In this moment…this _very_ moment…do you want to move in with me?"

She stood there with eyes wide on the key. How could she look at him and say no? As if she wanted to say no. If she didn't think about it, didn't think about the possible repercussions of this…then her answer was indisputable.

"Yes…yes, of _course_ I'll live with you." Her eyes threatened to shed a few tears, but she held them back. Now was no time to be a sap. She smiled and brought Klaus in for a tight hug. She was actually going to move in with him. This was really happening!

"What about my mom? What am I supposed to tell her?"

"Well…" he put the chain around her neck and tilted her chin up with his finger, "it's a good thing I already asked her what she thought about it, and gave her the address to the penthouse."

"She knows?"

"She knows."

Caroline couldn't help beaming at him. That's why her mother had gone directly to the parking lot! She had wanted to give Klaus and Caroline some privacy. It made sense! She shook her head, still unable to believe in this too much. Caroline couldn't seem to let herself think that this was actually happening. Not until they were in the penthouse. Even then she wasn't sure she would believe her own eyes. Klaus put his arm around her shoulder and began walking her in the direction of the parking lot.

"Elijah? Kol? Rebekah? Do they…"

"They all know. Kol picked out the pink design. He said he thought you would like it."

"I'll have to thank him for that."

Klaus laughed, which made Caroline laugh in response. She brought her hand up to her chest to feel the pink key that hung there. A penthouse. Of course Klaus would find the most expensive and extravagent building to live in. With Mikael dead, Klaus's family had gained a lot of money. Nothing that had gone to Klaus, but his siblings had made sure he got his fair share. She wasn't surprised he would use some of it on a gift for the two of them. Caroline looked up, only to find Klaus looking down at her. She grinned shyly and leaned in closer to him. After all the bad things that had happened that past year, Klaus had somehow managed to create the perfect ending to it.

Or…maybe it was the perfect beginning.


	21. Epilogue: 5 Years Later

"Oh! Faster, Klaus!" Caroline moaned.

"I'm trying! I don't want to go too fast."

"Seriously? Even for me?"

"Nice try, love. I'm going at my own pace, no matter what you say."

"Please, please, please?" She begged mercilessly.

"No begging. It's very unbecoming," he smirked.

"I'm going insane though!"

"Don't be so dramatic."

"Klaus?"

"Yes?"

"Did you just miss the turn?"

"Excuse me?"

Caroline furrowed her brows and checked the map again. Yea, they had missed the exit to Mystic Falls. She sighed in frustration and pointed her thumb behind her. "Exit. That way. Missed it."

"Dammit," Klaus muttered under his breath. The car swerved to make the next exit. After Klaus got himself turned around there, they headed back in the direction they had originally come from. Then he turned right, getting off at the correct exit this time. Everything was quickly put back to normal. Klaus went back to his sixty mph speed, and Caroline still wanted to slap him.

"I still think you should go faster," she mumbled grumpily.

"Caroline, if I go any fucking faster, I'm going to get a speeding ticket," he said with an exasperated tone.

"You're going sixty, I think we'll live if you push it up to seventy, and dare I say it…seventy-five!"

"I know you're stressing right now, sweetheart, but that's no reason to be a pain in the ass."

Caroline turned to face him as she quirked an eyebrow. So _she_ was being the pain the ass? Well…she could play along then. An evil little half-smile formed on her lips as she reached over to place her hand on his lap. His face suddenly got very serious as he felt her hand sliding up his thigh.

"Love, darling, sugarplum," he said in an overly sweet voice, staying focused on the road, "what are you doing?"

"Just being a pain," she said nonchalantly. Her hand slid from the inside of his thigh, further north toward his groin. A pained grunt escaped Klaus as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Caroline could see his knuckles turning white as he kept his eyes glued to the windshield.

"I don't think this is the appropriate time for that," he said through gritted teeth. She was impressed that his driving hadn't faltered once yet. Her mission wasn't to cause a collision. She just wanted to get a rise out of him. From the feel of his hard-on, she was succeeding too. The smile on her face resembled that of the Cheshire cat. She leaned in close so that her lips were practically touching his ear.

"I think it's the perfect time," she purred softly. Her nimble fingers began to slowly reach under the waistband of his sweatpants. They had decided on comfortable clothing for the road trip, something she was thankful for now. She gently grasped him near the tip, beginning to stroke him at a painstakingly slow rate. Klaus inhaled deeply through his nose as she moved at a steady rhythm. Not once did he lose his composure.

He did look as if he was trying to keep from speaking though. She smiled. Her hands began to quicken, and she could see his face contort _just_ a bit. The tiniest of moans could be heard from deep within his chest. His length twitched under the strain of his arousal.

"Caroline…faster, please…" he breathed.

"What's that? You want me to go faster? Sorry, but I think I'll stick to my own pace."

"Please…"

"Don't beg, love. It's unbecoming," she semi-quoted him from earlier.

The grip he had on the steering wheel was beginning to shake slightly at this point. Caroline normally didn't like to tease Klaus, but she felt it necessary just this once. What Klaus hadn't been paying attention to was the fact that the car was beginning to pick up a tiny bit of speed. She knew she was about to play a dirty trick on Klaus, but she just couldn't resist.

Right as Klaus was about to reach the highest level of ecstasy, she took her hand from inside his pants and put it in her lap. A desperate sort of choked noise came from Klaus at the sudden lack of contact.

"Why…"

"Did I stop? Well, we're on our way to a wedding, silly! Besides, we're at the hotel now."

The car pulled into the parking lot. Caroline could tell Klaus was borderline pissed and borderline ready to jump the bones of the next thing that moved. He parked the car in an isolated area and turned to Caroline with an upset expression. She knew it was wrong, but a giggle escaped as she took in his features.

"Caroline…I have a boner the size of the Eiffel tower. I can't very well get out of the car, now can I?"

"Want me to take the bags in then?" She asked innocently. His mouth set in a tight line.

"Yes, because now I'm going to have to take care of this inconvenience. I _will_ get you back for this, so you better prepare yourself, sweetheart," he said. Caroline only smirked and waggled her eyebrows before stepping out of the car and opening the trunk. Their stay wouldn't be for an extended period of time. No longer than the weekend at least. She had still packed about two and a half bags, while Klaus had only brought one. Grabbing her bags, she closed the trunk and headed for the double doors that were thankfully automatic.

They had made reservations only two nights ago, but they had been lucky enough to get a decent room in a nice hotel. No dingy places for them. The employee at the front desk smiled at her and she gave him a small wave.

"Hi. A reservation for two under Mikaelson?" she asked, wanting to get both of the keys to their room. Klaus had made the reservation, so that's why it was under his name instead of hers. After typing furiously on his keyboard, the man smiled and handed her two cards.

"Hope you enjoy your stay, madam," he said politely. Caroline smiled and went to the elevators. She hadn't thought to time Klaus on how long it would take him to finish up. All she had wanted him to do was go faster. In her opinion, the whole affair had been his doing.

Once she was in their room, she set her bags by the television and took out her phone. Caroline was, of course, late getting into town. That's why she had pestered Klaus on going faster. She sent out a mass text announcing her arrival to town, and started unpacking immediately after. Almost instantly, her phone buzzed twice. One message was from Damon, and one was from Rebekah. She cringed and checked the one from Damon first.

_Get your ass moving, Barbie. The added stress you are indirectly putting on me is not needed right now._

She stuck her tongue out at her phone as she moved to Rebekah's text.

_Awesome Caroline! But you better hurry. I think Damon is starting to fret a little. For the past couple of hours he looks as if he's been constipated or something ;)_

Caroline went into a fit of giggles at the faces Damon was probably making out of annoyance. Somehow, over the years, he had gotten to be quite the grumpy man. She shook her head and continued looking through her bags until she found her dress. At least, the one she would wear to her hair and makeup appointments with the girls. There were a lot of last minute things that needed to be done, and she only had seven hours until the wedding was supposed to start.

Ugh! Why couldn't Klaus have just gone faster?

* * *

Six and a half hours later, Caroline was scrambling to the dressing room. The hair and makeup appointments had ran a little later than expected, the photographer had only arrived thirty minutes ago, and now, the DJ was late. _Why_ did everything have to go wrong? Couldn't things just go off without a hitch? She sighed and scurried into the large changing room. It looked more like an extravagant dining area. The wedding wasn't held at a church, but some venue Caroline wasn't familiar with. The area for the bride and bridesmaids was massive, and had enough room for socializing among the four of them.

"Is he here yet?" Bonnie asked impatiently as Caroline walked in.

"No. I just called and he said he was stuck in traffic. He's only about ten minutes away though, so if we're lucky, things can still go as scheduled.

"Oh thank god. I'm not sure how much longer Elijah and Rebekah can handle poor, little Riley without me," Jenna sighed in relief as she continued playing with Elena's hair.

"Aunt Jenna! You're going to mess up Guillermo's work," she giggled.

Elena stood up from her seat and Caroline looked at the girl in awe. Was there ever a time when she wasn't stunning? Her dark brown hair hung in loose curls past her chest. The gown she wore was slim, with thin straps clinging to her shoulders as the neckline plunged enough for an alluring effect. The white satin flowed effortlessly to the floor and came to a soft pool at her feet.

"You are such a gorgeous bride," Caroline stated quietly. She wasn't going to cry. She was _not_ going to cry. The ceremony hadn't even started yet!

"Oh, Caroline," Elena smiled and moved to hug the blonde tightly. Caroline gave her a good squeeze before letting go. Just then, Matt came walking in.

"Beautiful as always, Lena." Matt gave a broad grin before heading to Elena to give her a bear hug.

"Is the DJ here yet, Matt?" Caroline asked.

"Yea, he got here just a bit ago."

"Finally!" she squealed. Caroline turned to Elena. "Are you ready?"

Elena nodded with a large grin on her face. Matt went to give Bonnie a quick kiss, gave a final nod to Elena, and then walked out the door. The four girls stood up and began brushing their red dresses down, making sure there were no wrinkles. Once every girl had gotten their small bouquet of flowers, they took their position.

"Wait!" Caroline exclaimed. "Where is-"

"The father of the bride?"

The girls turned at the sound of Alaric's voice. Caroline let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried he wasn't going to get back there in time. Jenna waved him over. They had agreed to leave Riley with Elijah and Rebekah out in the crowd, while Jenna and Alaric did their jobs as part of the wedding party. Caroline thought it had been sweet of Elijah to even offer to take care of him for the short amount of time.

All of them heard the music start, a smile touching Caroline's lips as she looked back at Elena. Jenna would walk out first, then Bonnie, then Caroline, and finally Alaric with Elena. Jenna walked out slowly. After a couple of minutes, Bonnie went out and made her way to the front of the altar. Caroline gave Elena an excited smile before going out to walk down the aisle. Her red dress flowed behind her as she took her spot, and turned around.

The wedding march began. Caroline watched as Elena and Alaric came slowly down the aisle. She looked over to see Damon staring at her with this mesmerized look on his face. Stefan and Matt stood behind him, a small smile on each of their faces. Caroline's attention turned to the crowd. Her eyes scanned over Elijah and Rebekah. The other blonde was holding the little two year old in her lap, making silly faces every now and again to make him giggle. The child was the spitting image of Alaric. And, it was amazing how much Rebekah had changed over the past few years. Caroline had never thought she'd see her entertaining a baby like that. Maybe Stefan was rubbing off on her or something.

Alaric handed Elena to Damon, kissing her on the top of her head before patting Damon on the shoulder, and taking his spot in the line of groomsmen. As the ceremony started, Caroline continued her search amongst the small crowd. Her eyes landed on the man she had been looking for. Klaus sat beside Kol, smiling up at her fondly. She grinned and turned back toward the two getting married.

"Do you, Damon Salvatore, take Elena Gilbert…"

Caroline couldn't believe she was actually back in Mystic Falls. After such a long time, it felt…different. New York was the _complete_ opposite of Mystic Falls. People were walking everywhere, car horns honked loudly at the cars in front of them. It was, after all, the city that never slept.

"And do you, Elena Gilbert, take Damon Salvatore…"

She didn't feel like the people had changed though. No matter how different it felt being back in such a sleepy little town, the people were the same as she remembered them to be. Hell, everyone was still together, even five years after graduation. Rebekah and Stefan had gone through more ups and downs, but they had mostly been together. Obviously, Damon and Elena had been inseparable. Matt and Bonnie had only broken up once throughout those five years, only staying apart for about two weeks, if she remembered correctly. She may not have been back in town since graduation, but she still kept in touch with all of her friends.

"Now for the rings…"

Her and Rebekah had even been talking more, which is how she knew about the relationship she had with Stefan. Sometimes more than she wanted to know, actually. The only person she knew of that was still single was Elijah. Caroline had heard rumors about him, however. Every now and again, he would take spontaneous trips to Europe. She could only guess whom the person he was probably seeing was. As for why in the world he would want to visit her, Caroline had no idea.

"…I now pronounce you, husband, and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Caroline wiped her eyes as Damon went in for the mother of all kisses. The room giggled at the display, watching the love the two had for each other. They pulled apart, grinning at the crowd and giving them a small wave as they walked slowly down the aisle. Caroline linked arms with Stefan, following close behind the newlyweds. She winked at Klaus as she passed. It was Kol who returned the gesture though. She rolled her eyes playfully.

"It's good to see you back in town, Caroline," Stefan whispered, as they continued walking toward the outside area for photos.

"You know it probably won't be for long," she whispered back.

"Still. Everyone here has really missed you. Mystic Falls may not have a penthouse or anything, but we have the best barbecue you've ever tasted," he joked.

Caroline giggled. "That's true. I've never had wings that were better than the ones I got here."

She missed her friends in Mystic Falls, it was true, but her life was in New York now. Her job with the fashion company she was working for was excellent, and Klaus had been selling his paintings to the best museums in the state. Mystic Falls was nowhere for a girl like her. She missed everyone so badly, but she had to make a living somehow.

"How are things with you and Klaus?" Stefan asked, breaking her from her reverie.

"Things are good. As you know, being with someone for almost six years is a long time."

"It is. I've enjoyed almost every minute of it with Rebekeh, too," he chuckled. Caroline joined him.

"Oh, you two are cute. Any plans to follow in your brother's footsteps?"

"After this long, it's crossed my mind more than once. Seeing her with Riley only made me realize one thing though."

"And that is?"

"That I need to go ring shopping," he admitted. Caroline smiled brightly, nudging him a little at the response she had just gotten. To think the group was still together after so long…it was nothing short of a miracle. She knew that Matt and Bonnie weren't excited about the idea about getting married. They wanted to be together, but both of them seemed to want to date for as long as possible before they wanted to even consider it.

As for her and Klaus, she didn't know what he thought about it, besides he hated the subject all together. She had brought it up a couple of times over the years, but each time he would change topics on her and discuss something else. It was infuriating, to be perfectly honest. She didn't feel like she needed a ring on her finger to know Klaus loved her, but just avoiding the matter didn't make her feel so wonderful. Caroline could only speculate as to why he would want to dismiss the idea of marriage, and the only answer she came up with was because of how it had been with his parents, and with hers even. Her mom and dad hadn't had near the same marriage as Klaus's parents, but still they were somewhat alike. In the fact that they had both ended in divorce, or one certain mother being widowed. From what she remembered, his mother had never had a great relationship with his father anyway.

So Caroline never brought the subject up. That didn't mean it wasn't on her mind, but if he was going to keep changing the subject on her, then what was the point of trying? Caroline tried to stop thinking about it as the group arrived outside and started arranging themselves for the wedding pictures. Maybe a few drinks tonight would be necessary though, just to aid her cause. Thank god Damon had wanted an open bar. It would come in handy tonight.

* * *

"And why wasn't I allowed a drink? Just one! You don't control me," she whined, the two of them coming to a halt outside the hotel room door as Klaus searched for the key.

"I just thought it wasn't wise to get drunk. You want to remember your best friend's wedding, right? Besides, it's not like you _had_ to listen." After seconds of searching, Klaus had found the key and unlocked the door. Caroline sped past him.

"You kept taking the drinks I got!"

"Oh, that's right. I did, didn't I?" Klaus chuckled, like he was actually pleased with himself. She could hear him shut the door and now, she was really pissed. There was also only one bed. How was she supposed to spend the rest of the night with him? She sighed and gathered her clothes, going straight for the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she began to change out of her dress and turn on the shower. Klaus tried the door, only to figure out it was locked. Ha! See how he liked that.

"Come on, love. No shower for two?"

"I don't think so," she said, stepping into the hot shower.

"Caroline," he persisted, "I don't want you to be mad at me."

"Too late. I don't like it when my boyfriend controls what I do."

"And how often do I do that?"

"More than you think!"

"That's not true!"

"Just leave me alone, Klaus!" She grunted and prepared herself for his next onslaught of words. They never came, and she was somewhat thankful for the peace, however temporary it may be. She would have to get out of the shower eventually though.

Caroline knew she was being unfair. Honestly, she didn't want to get so smashed she would forget the night of Elena's wedding. If she had done what she wanted to, the intake of alcohol would have been high. She should be thanking Klaus, but there were other things on her mind. All of it stemmed from being back in Mystic Falls and going to her friend's wedding. Everyone else at least had a _plan_ for the future. She didn't know where in the hell her future with Klaus was going. All she knew was that she loved him, and that he loved her, but what about after? Would he leave her for the next pretty thing to come along? Would love really conquer all?

The water ran through her hair, down her back, and then to her legs. It felt cleansing, like it was washing away all of her anger. It was stupid, to be this upset with him for doing nothing. Caroline quickly washed up and turned the water off. After drying herself and putting on a light blue t-shirt, she went to put on the pair of black sweatpants she had gotten. The sweatpants belonged to Klaus. She grinned as she put them on slowly. Even in her state of frustration, she still picked out his clothes over hers.

She scrunched her nose up as she realized she would have to apologize for shouting at him. The people in the next room must _love_ them. Caroline took a deep breath and exited to find…a sight she hadn't expected. Klaus had already undressed, lying shirtless on the bed with only a pair of black boxers on. He had gone through a small bottle of some kind of alcohol that had been placed in the room. Caroline crossed her arms at him, an eyebrow quirked. Klaus looked up at her with a small grin.

"Don't start with me. I needed something to calm my nerves. And don't worry, I'm not looking to get drunk."

A feeling of guilt washed over her as she walked to stand beside the bed. She saw him watching her as she walked, as well as the look he gave upon seeing his pants on her. Klaus slowly sat up and put his feet on the floor, his eyes raking over her body. A blush rose to her cheeks. He never failed to make her feel like some sort of goddess in his presence. He slowly reached his arms out as he began to put his arms around her waist, bringing her in close to him. She kissed the top of his head, and then put her cheek on it, all the while stroking his hair.

"I shouldn't have got so upset with you," she mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Darling, you and I have been in much worse spats than that. Think nothing of it," he whispered.

"That doesn't make getting mad at you any better. I mean-"

"Caroline, please. Let me finish, angel."

Caroline nodded and he backed away from her a little. Only enough to grab her hands gently before giving them a sweet kiss. The expression she saw on his face was one she had seen before. It was one of affection and complete adoration. He didn't wear it as much as he used to, but it only made the times he did now more special.

"I don't enjoy arguing with you either, but it's just going to happen. You know I love you more than anything in this world, right?" She nodded, allowing him to continue. He stood up, not letting go of her hands. Instead, he enclosed both of her hands in both of his, giving them another kiss. She was beginning to wonder how much he had gotten to drink tonight. He was completely composed though, so she let him continue without any interruptions.

"I'm in love with you, Caroline," he said softly. His words got stronger as he proceeded. "I love you _so_ much. I know I don't say it as much as I used to, but I always think that you just _know_. It's not an excuse, but I promise to get better at it. I promise to tell you every chance I get, and then some. You've done so much for me, Caroline. More than you know, I'm afraid. One of these days, I'll be sure to list every reason, just so you know how important it is to me."

Caroline was starting to get a little worried. Usually, she would be a big sap at this point in the speech, but she didn't know where he was going with this. Was it some sort of goodbye? She still kept quiet, however, and waited to see what the catch was.

"The most important reason though…is because you showed me the way home. For years I was afraid of that time of day when all the children would be sent home. To that time of day when I had to greet Mikael at the door, waiting to tell me everything I had done wrong. Even after you and I had met, it wasn't until graduation was over, and we were in New York, that I had figured out what you had done for me. Every time I went out with a prospective buyer or I had to be at some exhibit…all I could think about was going _home_. To the place I knew you would be at. Caroline, _you_ are my home."

This was sounding less and less like a goodbye to Caroline. Her eyes were watery now and she was trying her hardest not to cry, but damn he was making it difficult. As if the night couldn't get any crazier, Klaus did something she had never thought he would do. The one thing that he had always avoided…the one thing that made Caroline start to cry silently.

He got down on one knee.

"I always thought a serious commitment would end badly, that things like that could never work. I was wrong though," he said quietly, a small smile beginning to form, "I was so _very_ wrong, sweetheart." He reached into the drawer on the table beside the bed. A small, red velvet box was what he brought back out.

"I didn't want you drinking tonight, because if you had gotten drunk when I had finally gotten the courage to do this, I would have been the saddest man alive. I took that small bottle from the room because I needed something to calm my nerves down for this. Not because of a silly little argument. There is honestly nothing I want more than for you to stand by me until the day I get old and gray. For you to let me watch over you for once, and to just…be with me, in every way possible."

He let go of her other hand now, so that he could open the box to reveal a brilliant ring. She forced herself to keep her eyes open, because there was no way in hell she was missing any of this. The look in Klaus's eyes was without doubt vulnerability. He was putting himself out there for her.

"Caroline, please… _please_ say you'll marry me."

More tears of happiness fell down her cheek. The smile on her face gave away her answer, but she managed to get it out anyway.

"Yes…oh, yes of _course_ I'll marry you!" she said without hesitation.

The smile on Klaus's face was all the reassuring she needed to know that this was the right thing. He carefully pulled the ring out of the box, and slipped it slowly onto her left ring finger. It was beautiful. Caroline looked back up at Klaus, not able to contain her excitement. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She only withdrew enough so that she could plant a very passionate kiss on those plump lips of his. When she pulled back for air, she put both of her hands on each side of his face, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs.

"When did you know? That this was what you wanted?" she asked quietly. He responded with a smirk.

"Remember our little trip to Miami?" He waggled his brows. Her cheeks blushed a deep red as her eyes widened.

" _That_ was when you knew you wanted me for a wife? _Then_?" she asked amazed. He laughed cheerfully before somehow bringing her in closer, placing a kiss to her forehead.

"It was our last night there. We were outside on the patio, sitting on that comfortable couch," he arched another eyebrow, but she only narrowed her eyebrows at his insinuation.

"Continue…" she encouraged.

"Anyway, we were outside on the couch, and you had fallen asleep by my side. I remember just sitting there…looking out onto the beach with the moon above our heads. Everything was so…peaceful. I looked down at you and I remember thinking that, I could get used to this. I knew that everyday, I could fall asleep and wake up next to you, without any complaints. I knew then that I wanted you, always."

She smiled and put her forehead on Klaus's shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too, Caroline."

So many thoughts were beginning to swirl through her head. She was about to get married to the man she had never thought would be hers. Caroline looked up to catch Klaus's gaze. For some reason, one particular thought seemed to be sticking to the forefront of her mind.

"So, about this morning…are you still going to get me back?"

"No," he chuckled, "I hadn't actually planned to. Why?"

"Because I'm about to make up for it," she said, waggling her own eyebrows.

"Caroline, you don't have to reward me with sex for proposing to you," he said with a smile.

"Did you ever think I just want your body right now?"

"Well, if that's the case then-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Caroline had put her lips to his, leading him to the bed. Klaus laughed through the kiss, causing Caroline to smile more. It turned out to be a sleepless night for the both of them. And, it was the best kind of sleepless night, too.

That moment was a memory she would always cherish. It was the night her Klaus had finally found his way to her arms. The night he had truly found his way home.


End file.
